The Secret Life Of Us
by TheYummyPencil
Summary: Sequel to ‘Between You & Me’! “Doesn’t matter where we go, Evans. It’ll be you and me in the end…” Chad and Sharpay discover that promises are easy to make in high school, and just as easy to break in life. Luckily for the pair, true love dies hard…
1. Chapter 1

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**Author's Note: Hey, everybody! I is back to writing my Chadpays (couldn't stay away).**

**I started an AU one a while ago, only to realize (about four chapters too late) that it _wasn't _actually working. In hindsight, I think it was because Chad and Sharpay didn't have a history. They _need_ years of lust/love/hate between them for it to be good.**

**So- of course- I had to do sequel. Please do enjoy. And reviewing would be nice too, heehee… **

**THE SECRET LIFE OF US **

**PROLOGUE**

**Worlds Apart**

_The sun held a rather gloomy tinge as it spilled into the courtroom that day. Silence reigned over everyone present. Everyone _except_ the young man prowling the arena. _

_Chad Danforth was in the zone. Now and again he would slam his fist on the table, to illustrate _just_ how passionate he was about the pursuit of justice. At times his tone would soften, as he tried not to weep when this justice was threatened. Then he would swagger back to life, certain that good would prevail, with the help of the wise and dignified jury before him. It was quite the performance…_

_The day's proceedings done, Chad departed with his client, who saw fit to hook her arm into his as they walked. _

"_Now I remember why I hired you," she purred, vivid hair tickling his cheek. "You almost made _me_ believe I was innocent."_

"_I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Mrs. Whittaker," he replied with a smirk so forced it hurt. _

"_Silly boy," she cooed and Chad felt an uncomfortable something stir in his stomach. "And it's Mimi, remember?"_

_Oh, he remembered._

_At home, Chad shrugged off his jacket, yanked off his tie, freed his hair from its professional restraints and set a pot of water to boil. Instant Macaroni had become the staple diet. His mother would weep…_

_He checked his e-mails as per routine. The usual chain letter, threatening him with a sudden and violent death if he did not forward it in sixty seconds. The usual dirty joke from Troy, which would never be immature, no matter how old they got. An article on Socrates from one of his professors. An invitation to East High's Class of '07 Reunion…_

_Chad's gaze stopped here and he hesitated before opening it. Sure enough a large photograph of his old friends brightened the PC's screen. His eyes roamed the faces of the Wildcats and came to rest on two in particular. A bright blonde girl and a grinning black boy, her arms tight around his waist, his around her shoulders, their cheeks pressed together in comical glee. This happiness seemed foreign, distant, but it _was_ theirs. It had been theirs. _

_Chad shook his head and deleted the e-mail as swiftly as he had opened it…_

_Miserly sunlight filtered into the church that morning. All was serene, silent. Extremely silent. Awkwardly silent. _

_Sharpay Evans blinked in horror as she realized the priest had forgotten his cue. From the back of the room she began to wave her arms frantically. The cleric cast a relieved, slightly agitated look her way and stooped to open the box._

_Twelve doves fluttered upwards, evoking a sentimental sigh from the congregation. Sharpay resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she slipped out of sight. It was easy for _them_ to be sentimental. _They_ weren't going to be cleaning up bird shit after the ceremony. _

_Sharpay had tried to make the bride understand how problematical it would be to unleash two dozen animals in a fairly large room. But said bride was adamant on dragging the fantasy into reality and turned to her fiancé for support. Said fiancé reminded Sharpay that if his fiancée wanted doves, _damn it_, she was going to _get_ doves. At a reasonable price, of course. _

_Sharpay found it in herself to smile as the newlyweds burst out of the church, followed by teary family members and beaming, pitifully envious bridesmaids. _

_Shar's assistant was at her side in an instant. _

"_Oh my gosh, that was _so_-" _

"_You have to stall, Nikki," she commanded, cutting off her inevitable gushing. "Some jackass broke all the fingers off the ice sculpture and if I don't go fix it Olivia will have a seizure."_

"_Awesome!" the slight girl replied, as she always did upon receiving orders. "I'll get right on it, Ms. Evans." Momentarily satisfied, Sharpay, turned on her heel, only to be stopped when Nikki added, "Oh, some old lady called and asked if you got the invitation."_

_Sharpay paused. "What old lady?" _

_She bit her lip and jutted out her hip, a sign of deep thought. "Ms. Digby? Or was it…Darby?"_

"_Ms. Darbus?" _

"_That's the one!" _

"_What invitation?" Sharpay pressed, clinging to her patience. _

"_Something about a high school reunion?"_

_Her heart, which had been stinging with nostalgia moments before, plummeted abruptly. In that moment she thought not of seeing her old friends, or of brandishing her success in their faces. No. All Sharpay could think of was the boy, the _man_ who still had as strong a hold on her as he did when they were kids. _

_Sharpay shook her head. "If she calls again tell her I'm sorry. I can't go…"_

It was a much happier, much dumber time when promises of forever actually meant something to Chad and Sharpay. Over many miles and years it became clear that forever was very hard to sustain.

And so it ended. But it didn't. Not really. Chad and Sharpay would soon discover that love, in spite of reason, in spite of convenience, endures all.

**A/N: So this is a bit gloomier than the 'BY&M' prologue! I've heard that the world actually gets quite gloomy as you grow up. **

**Review! For old times sake…**


	2. Chapter 2

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**Author's Note: Dudes! Thank you so much for the positive feedback. Got me all eager to update. Hope you enjoy…**

**Chapter One: Friendly Persuasion**

**Chad**

Chad needed to drink. He knew that this could never be the solution, he knew it would only provide a temporary reprieve that would end in a vicious hang-over. He knew all this and _damn it_ he didn't give a shit.

The Mint Leaf was a popular watering hole for Chad's lawyer friends, as well as the hip, politically aware that always managed to make blind intoxication look cool. Chad wanted to be alone tonight, though, so he could think things over. Or rather _not_ think things over.

He asked the bartender for anything that was reliable, i.e that would get him plastered in the least amount of time, with the least amount of effort.

"Could you call a cab when I'm done, Manny?"

Manny, a burly bearded man who only acted interested in people's problems because it seemed to be a sort of duty, dried a mug as he asked, "Something bothering you?"

"_Nah_."

Chad had lied, knowing he would gain no comfort from this artificial concern. Something _was_ bothering him. Someone. He had been sure that that chapter of his life was closed, that eventually she would not so much disappear as…fade. She would lose her vividness, her sting. Like an old tattoo. That was how life worked, wasn't it? You loved, you hated, you moved on. You _had to_ move and find something else, something better if you were lucky. Eight years on, no such luck had come to Chad.

He was half-way through his beer when his ringtone blared. Thanks to the magic that was caller ID, Chad could have ignored his mother's call. But Mrs. Danforth, like most mothers, wasn't easily deterred. It would be easier to let her chew his ear off now and be done with it.

"Yeah, Mum," he lowered his voice, not wanting to kill his cool. "I got the invite. I'm not going."

"What do you mean, _you're not going_? Why the hell not!"

Chad held the cellphone an inch away from his ear, so that the volume on his mother's yelling was reduced somewhat.

"I'm in the middle of my first case," he protested. "Do you know what a jackass I'll look like if I dump it for a vacation?" Chad was lucky to have been hired in the first place. He could hardly believe his good fortune when Mrs. Whittaker requested his 'expertise' in helping her take her husband for everything he had. Chad's fellows looked on this with scorn, disbelief and what he believed to be brilliant envy. But Mrs. Whittaker had put her faith in him. Chad had to show that he was worth the risk.

"It's not a vacation!" his mother wheedled. "It's a rare opportunity to reconnect with your memories, with old friends…" With Sharpay. She didn't say it. But she never had to.

"And I don't see why you're so damn eager to defend that hooker away."

"_Mum_," he groaned.

"Don't deny it! Everybody knows Miss _Mimi Le Croix_- which sure as hell isn't her real name- had dollar signs in her eyes when she married that poor man. Don't you care that she's a slut?"

"It's not my job to care."

A pensive pause. "You could still be a dentist…"

"One argument at a time, woman!"

"_Right, right_. You have to be here," she resumed, as if they had never once wandered off the topic. "I was looking forward to having you _home_, sweetheart. Your old room's waiting for you. Everything's exactly the same as you left it. Even that funky old retainer you always kept in your bottom drawer."

He rubbed his temple vigorously. "That's…_sweet_, Mum. A little creepy but…"

"And don't you wanna meet Mark?"

Chad grimaced, safe in the knowledge that she could not see him. "_Oh_, nothing would give me greater joy."

"Was that sarcasm?" Mrs. Danforth's tone implied that she was very much aware he was being sarcastic, but she expected him to know better.

Chad tried not to sound scared as he replied. "No. _Definitely not._"

"_Mmm-hm_. Well," she sighed, "I've gotta go. Mark's taking me out tonight. See you in a week, baby."

"Mum, I'm not-"

She reminded him to eat properly before hanging up. Chad stared at the phone for a moment before shaking his head and flipping it shut.

He _couldn't_ go back. It would mean facing her, facing not being with her. Chad had long since resolved that starting over was not an option. They had neither the time nor the means to try and find what they had lost.

In spite of all his rationale, however, Chad could not escape the fact that he had never been so happy as he was with Sharpay Evans.

Chad ordered another beer.

**Sharpay **

She had tried. She called, she wrote, she even sent pictures, just in case he forgot how hot she was. Said pictures somehow found their way into his roommate's grubby hands, but he had rescued them, and later on Sharpay found it in herself to laugh.

Still. Life got in the way. Sharpay wasn't sure who to blame for _letting_ it get in the way…

The offices of 'Evans' Heavenly Weddings' had fallen into a state of sedation, as was usually the case after another event had been successfully archived.

In the lull, Sharpay amused herself by leafing through her old yearbook, a bottle of champagne in her lap (said champagne had been snagged from Olivia's wedding- God knew she deserved it).

She paused at the 'Odd Couples Wall', a page on which almost every couple in the senior year had contributed photos. Troy and Gabriella were there, of course, with Hopelessly Devoted stamped below them. What the hell happened to those two? She trailed a finger down to Ryan and Taylor, their comment being, 'Chemistry Anyone'? Kelsi and Jason apparently planned to make 'Beautiful Music' together…

Sharpay snorted and shook her head, but the good humor faded quick as her gaze was arrested by _their_ picture. All they had seen fit to write was 'Always'. She grimaced and slammed the book shut. So fucking stupid…

A lively knock on the door interrupted her mid-swig. She set the glass down before spluttering, "_Come in!_"

Nikki popped her head in through the doorway and Sharpay tried not to grimace. With her bright blue eyes and long blonde hair, she was like the little sister Shar had never wanted. But while Nikki was nauseatingly cheerful, she was also obedient and hard-working.

"Isn't it a little too _early_ to be _drinking_, Ms. Evans?"

"_It's never too early_. What do you want?"

She seemed a little perturbed by Sharpay's snapping but soon shook it off. "Well, me and Stacey and Adam are heading out for lunch. Do you wanna come?"

No. She did _not_ want to come, damn it. All Sharpay wanted was to sit alone in her office with the blinds closed, staring at this photo, this window into her past.

"I'm good, thanks. You guys go ahead."

She nodded and gave a small smile before leaving. Sharpay was left feeling strangely old. She consoled herself by drinking.

Sharpay got home just in time to hear the phone ringing from within her apartment. Sharpay fumbled with the keys, dropped them and quickly crouched to pick them up, cursing under her breath. She burst into the room just as the call went to voicemail. It was Ryan, and even as the world blurred and swayed around her Sharpay managed to sound pleased when she answered. That was until he started asking about the reunion.

"Why the hell should I go? I'm too cool for those losers. _Too cool for school_," she giggled, tossing her Prada bag out of sight.

"Sharpay, are you drunk?"

"_Yep_." She dropped down into her favorite red leather armchair. "That's what cool people do, Ryan. Cool people like me."

"_Okay then_. How's the Big Apple?"

"_Rotten_. How's Ms. McKessie?"

"Eager to see _you_, believe it or not. She says she feels bad for you, all alone over there."

"I'm not alone! I've got _loads_ of friends. Ross and Rachel and Joey and Chandler and…"

"_You're ridiculous_."

"Well, you're still obligated to love me."

"Please come home, Sharpay," he reiterated. "It won't be the same without you. Besides, Mother's suddenly come down with Empty Nest Syndrome and _Taylor_ has to bear the brunt of her maternal instincts."

Sharpay grimaced. "My sympathies. But I'm not going. Don't feel like it."

"_Shit_, Sharpay not everything is about you!"

She blinked, taken aback and a little hurt by his sudden testiness.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He heaved a sigh. "Sorry. _Sorry_. Forget it. I'm just…Sharpay, please. I need you here."

Sharpay groaned and scratched the back of her head in aggravation. She was really in no fit state to argue at this point and she said so before pledging her undying affection for her brother and hanging up.

She couldn't go. She couldn't face him and everything he made her feel. _Had_ made her feel.

Sharpay snatched up the half empty bottle and got to work on it, trying her best to drown everything out.

**Author's Note: There shall be a lot more action in the next chappie, I can assure you. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

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**Author's Note: I'm _seriously_ depressed for reasons that are too depressing to discuss right now. But Chadpay makes me smile. And hopefully this chapter will make _you_ smile…**

**Chapter 2: The Facts of Love **

**Chad**

Chad returned home, damp and weary from an hour at the 'sports center'. A few years ago he would have regarded gyms and any similar institutions with a strange sort of contempt. But now there was no time to be spent on basketball and no one good enough to play with anyway. So tread mills and grimy weights would have to do.

Chad took the stairs two at a time, pausing only to greet Ms. Grant, an old spinster who insisted on leaving Macadamia nut cookies outside his door. They were burnt beyond recognition half the time but the effort was heartfelt, and it almost made him feel like he had a home here.

The answering machine told him he had three new messages, the first being from Mimi.

"_Hey, babe_," her husky, perpetually teasing tones permeated the air. "_My divorce party's on tonight and you absolutely _have_ to be there._" He found himself cringing. Despite the irony of it, Chad wholly believed that divorce was _not_ something to be celebrated. The fact that it was all premature celebration didn't escape him either. But wouldn't his absence show a pitiful lack of confidence?

Chad hastily got ready, taking a biting cold shower to kill the lethargy and putting on the once neglected shirt that Mrs. Danforth bought him.

As Mimi was temporarily homeless (her husband being in possession of their assets) the celebrations were held at the Hotel Rouge, "_Washington's finest_," she had reminded him.

Chad felt unusually pointless when he got there, as if he had accidentally stumbled onto some pink and red planet where everybody knew everybody but him.

His eyes roamed the dim, sultry lounge, in search of a bar. He didn't want a drink, but he _did_ want somewhere by which he could stand and look cool. Chad had barely moved when a hand gripped his.

"_Hey there, handsome_." Mimi was typically evocative that night in her barely-there dress, flame red hair rippling down around an angular face. Chad was stunned to realize that he felt nothing as he looked at her. This should have been a good thing, considering he worked for her. But Chad being Chad, it bugged the hell out of him.

Mimi was gorgeous and alluring and an epic tease. But she wasn't…Sharpay. He loved Sharpay, he fought for her, ached for her. There was no replacement.

Chad's heart strained at the realization and hr barely managed a grin as she dragged him off to be introduced.

Mimi had a lot of friends, many of them completely plastered, they all got tiresome after a while. Chad disentangled himself from the hostess and told her he needed some air. Mimi decided she did, too.

"I was at Sam's house today," she mentioned off-handedly as they walked down the steps.

Chad grimaced. "Mimi, you _can't_ talk to the Senator outside of court." He never felt comfortable calling Senator Whittaker by anything other than his position.

"I was just going to pick up a few things," she protested with a mocking sort of timidity. "And he wasn't there anyway." She raised her champagne glass to her lips as she spoke. "Just his bratty daughter. Can you _believe_ she wouldn't let me have my clothes?"

"Their not yours yet," he murmured. "Nothing is."

"That'll change. _Soon_. We're gonna pull the rug out from under him. _Literally_. You'll make it happen, won't you?" Chad could not answer. When she said things like that, kind of evil things, it reminded him that he was _not_ just doing his job. He was gunning for somebody's reputation, their money, their family…

"All right, this is totally irrelevant," he began, already regretting his words. "But did you ever think about the kids?"

"You mean did I care?" She slowed to a halt and jutted out a hip. He nodded. "_Of course_, I did, Chad. I'm not _completely_ heartless. But I did what I had to do. You, _as a lawyer_, should understand that."

He did. He understood and insisted on it until Mimi smiled languidly and hooked her arm into his. They went back inside to cut the phallic-shaped cake and sing divorce songs.

**Sharpay **

In spite of what her friends said, Sharpay felt like she had given the dating game a fair shot. Sure she hadn't been able to hold down a single serious relationship in the past few years, but was it really _her_ fault if the men she went out with were all wrong?

Finn Henderson for example. He was the nice type, witty in that self-effacing sort of way, and he worked at a CD store in Times Square. But it only took Sharpay five minutes to figure out that it would never work. Finn played ice hockey instead of basketball, he had short black hair instead of an explosion of brown curls, and most intolerable of all, he wore socks and sandals. At the same time.

Sharpay returned home defeated from their first and last date at the Olive Garden. There was no point, she realized as a dim weight settled into her chest. No man, no matter how funny or smart or nice, seemed good enough. They just weren't…_Chad_. And a small, glowing part of her was happy about it.

Sharpay groaned and pushed a hand up into her hair. She felt ruined, doomed to a life of last first dates…

In search of a distraction, she checked her messages and found that the first was from Nikki.

"_Hey, Ms. Evans! A guy called to day, asking if you were available to do another wedding…_"

She rolled her eyes. Wonderful. Another wedding to remind her how alone she was.

"_His name was… Ryan Evans? Hey, he's got the same last name as you! Maybe it's a sign. Maybe you'll be walking down the aisl-" _

Sharpay leaped at the phone and cut Nikki off mid-giggle. She dialed frantically and as soon as her brother answered she yelled:

"Are you getting married?!"

Ryan laughed a little and she knew. "I hope so…"

"To Taylor!"

"I haven't asked her yet."

"Oh. My. Gosh." Sharpay began to cling to the desk for support. Her little brother. Married? It was bizarre, it was wonderful, it was…"Ryan, this is a really big deal! Where did this come from? Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's been eight years, Sharpay! I'm pretty sure at this point."

She shook her head, a smile hovering over her face. "Ryan, are you serious?"

"_I love her_." Sharpay was rendered speechless and silence reigned for a good thirty seconds before Ryan inquired, "Sharpay, are you crying?"

She dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse and beamed. "_Nope_."

Sharpay was glad to hear that she was the first person to find out about the maybe engagement. And now she understood why Ryan _really_ needed her back in New Mexico. She found herself feeling hurt that he hadn't wanted her around simply because she was fun, then excited over being able to plan a wedding for someone she actually cared about, then terrified by the thought that Taylor might say no and Ryan would be eternally crushed.

Well, either way, Sharpay was going home, for two seemingly epic events.

She had a lot of shopping to do.

**Author's Note: I thought of having Sharpay plan _Troy and Gabriella's_ wedding. But due to my severe dislike of the pair, anything I wrote for them would end up as a parody. So I thought a wedding for two people Sharpay genuinely cares about would be much better. **

**So erm…what do _you_ guys think? **


	4. Chapter 4

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**Author's Note: Mwa! A big e-kiss to all who have reviewed! **

**I'm happy today because of my new puppy. She's so cute! But she bites like crazy and eats Kleenex. Still. **_**Very cute**_**…**

**Chapter 3: Arrivals **

**Chad**

Among his many adolescent fantasies, Chad always had a favorite. When the afternoons were hot and he had eaten too much at lunch and Ms. Darbus' lectures began to sound like the drone of bees, he would see himself coming off a basketball court triumphant, to be greeted by hordes of eager reporters, hanging on his every word.

The reality today was a lot less fun. Chad was sort of famous, but on a different type of court and he didn't feel very triumphant, having just been demolished by the plaintiff.

He stood firm amid the barrage of questions and worked his face into an expression similar to that of a wounded lion…

"My client has dedicated _three years_ of her life to this marriage. Sadly, her love and devotion were _no_ match for Senator Whittaker's neglect, callousness and possible infidelity. We are here in pursuit of the justice that Ms. Le Croix has been deprived of." Chad rested a supportive hand on her shoulder. "I only ask that you keep your minds- _and hearts_- open to her plight…"

That was good. He did good. So why did the general feeling of goodness evade him?

For the rest of the day, Chad's mind strayed to East High and refused to return. He wondered if the Wildcats were still going strong, if Ms. Darbus was still insane, and if Principal Matsui still kept a 'secret' stash of Skittles in his top desk drawer. Chad wondered if Sharpay still loved him, then decided wondering was pointless and stopped…

He was just settling down to ESPN and a bowl of Instant Macaroni when an insistent knock interrupted him. Chad groaned and scratched the back of his head as he got up. He had been in a very anti-social mood lately and tonight was no excep-

"_Did ya miss me_?"

Chad smiled a happy, incredulous smile at the sight of his luggage-laden best friend.

"Troy, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving actually," he replied, as he was pulled into a hearty hug. "See there's this class reunion going on in my hometown. Everybody's gonna be there. Except for this one idiot…"

Chad pretended not to hear and helped him with his things.

"What is this crap, Bolton?" he grunted, dropping the bags in the hallway. "You been dress shopping?"

"Souvenirs from my travels with the Red Hawks," he proclaimed. "My mum would kill me if I didn't go back with anything. _Nice digs, man_."

Chad gave a non-committal shrug and made his way to the fridge. It was only as he turned back with two arctic beers in hand that he noticed something different about his buddy.

"What the fuck did you do to your hair?"

Troy ran a hand over his distinctly black mop. "What? I look like a rock star!"

He tossed him the bottle and flopped down on a couch. "A gay one."

"Says the guy with the Jheri curl." Troy took the adjacent one.

They began to chatter as easily as they would have eight years ago. Chad wanted to know how life was treating the Red Hawks' point guard, Troy wanted to know why he was wasting his time defending a 'money-grubbing crone'. Troy wanted to find a basketball court, Chad called him a jackass and said he wasn't going out to play basketball at nine o'clock. Troy pointed out that old age was getting to him and Chad wondered if he was right. Troy talked about the reunion.

"Is it Sharpay? You can't go because of Sharpay."

"No."

"Yes. What are you afraid of, man?"

"I'm not afraid. Pass the Cheetos before I kick your ass."

But Troy would not be defeated and proceeded to nag him with a tenacity that would make Mrs. Danforth proud. Chad barely had time to give in before he began to regret it…

**Sharpay**

Sharpay didn't make a habit of watching the news. It reminded her how ugly the world could be. But these days, everyday, at around two o'clock, Sharpay was a devout CNN fan.

Some would call her regimented viewing obsessive, maybe even a little sad. 'Some' could go fuck themselves as far as Sharpay was concerned. How often did a girl get to see her ex without him seeing her?

He looked different, she mused. Maybe it was the Armani suit, or the hair tied back, or the camera angles, or the eloquent lies pouring out of him.

Sharpay wondered if Chad would be there when she got to Albuquerque. Not only in the flesh. She wondered if _he_ would be there, or just some Chad-shaped jerk who made money out of people's misery.

Sharpay resolved to worry about it when she got there and tore her eyes from the screen. She had a flight to catch…

The incoherent buzzing of JFK made Sharpay edgier than usual. A feverish insecurity had gripped her during the cab ride. What if he didn't show? What if he did? What if nobody was impressed with her success? What if she wasn't as pretty as she used to be?

Sharpay pulled out a cherry-colored compact mirror as she sat waiting in the terminal. She hadn't changed _that_ much had she? Her hair had been cut into shorter, honey-blonde layers, and she opted for darker tones with her make-up these days. Besides that, Sharpay was still failry hot. And she wasn't _that_ much older, was she? Twenty-five wasn't twenty-one, but then it wasn't _thirty_ either. Sharpay repeated the _not thirty _refrain until she boarded the plane and people began to look at her funny…

New Mexico was so quiet in comparison to New York, almost sleepy. Golden sand dunes and gray mountains stretched on for what felt like eternity. Except for an extra sprinkling of shopping malls, an Internet café and a new Starbucks, Albuquerque remained unchanged. But instead of immediate boredom, Sharpay found herself feeling oddly comforted, safe, at home.

She pushed open the lengthy, white double doors of the Evans manor and strolled in, wheeling her luggage behind her.

"The party has arrived, people!" she called, her voice echoing a little in the silent foyer. "Hello? Mum? _Ryan_? Where the hell is every-"

Sharpay nearly fell over as a wavy blonde head, not unlike her own, collided with her. She was caught up in a sudden tangle of arms, a flurry of kisses, the scent of costly French fragrance.

"Pay-Pay! Oh my _darling_, how _are_ you? Let me take a look at you! Stand _still_, you silly girl. Oh, what have you done to your hair? It looks _fabulous_. Don't make that face, give your mother a kiss!"

"Mum, let her go!"

She was more than relieved to see her brother emerge from the kitchen, wearing no hat and a big smile.

"Yeah, what he said."

Mrs. Evans relinquished her grip and stepped aside, whereupon Ryan enveloped her in a much less painful embrace.

"Hey, big sister. How you doing?"

Sharpay gave a coy smile. "_I'm great_. How's your soon-to-be fianc-"

Ryan gave a shake of his head that was somehow fierce and discreet at the same time. Sharpay frowned in bewilderment and was just starting to speak when:

"_Damn_. You're even skinnier than I remembered."

Sharpay's heart gave an abrupt jerk as she saw Taylor stroll in from the kitchen. A terse silence fell over the room. She was made nervous, not so much by her near revelation of Ryan's proposal, but by the recollection that when they last saw each other, they weren't exactly friendly. They weren't _un_friendly but…

"_Hey, Tay_." She tried for a smile and failed. Then, in a moment of sheer stupidity, Sharpay offered a hand, as if greeting the President of some Middle Eastern country. The other woman's expression remained stony as she ignored this.

"That's the best you can do?" she sighed. "After eight years!"

Sharpay was sufficiently stunned as Taylor began to laugh and dragged her into a hug. She hugged back and gaped over Taylor's shoulder as Ryan gave her the thumbs-up.

**A/N: Another reason for me to be happy? I'm turning eighteen tomorrow! Can I get a WHOOP-WHOOP? **_**Yes**_**! Say goodbye to the innocent girl you once knew. I'm gonna go **_**wild**_**! I'm gonna drink wine coolers and watch 'American Pie' and sit in the front seat when my mum drives me to school! **

_**Ahem**_**. Reviews would make a lovely b-day present, thank you. **


	5. Chapter 5

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**Author's Note: Thank you for the well-wishing! I had a really good day, starting with all your lovely reviews. But I was kidding about riding in the front seat! I am a competent driver, thank you. Just waiting for the glorious day when I receive my own car. I honestly think cars are more trouble than they're worth, though. Chad would kill me for saying that! **

**Oh, and yes. I changed my penname. I'm at a turning point in my life, damn it! Thought I'd try for a bit of re-invention. Hey, a rose by any other name…**

**Chapter 4: A Trudge Down Memory Lane**

**Chad **

The childish fear of being in trouble had stuck to Chad like old gum. When he knew that he had done wrong and that confession was inevitable, his brain would buzz and his palms would dampen and sometimes he had to lie to make it better. As far as Mimi knew, Chad had a family crisis back in New Mexico and would thus, _regrettably_, have to resign as her attorney. But Mimi was having none of it and insisted she had to see him. Chad knew he was in trouble.

He was half-way through packing (or rather throwing random items of clothing into a bag) when there came an insistent rap on the door.

It was the fact that Mimi had dressed _down_, rather than up, that stunned him. Chad noted the plain black shirt, faded denims and flats. Except for a pair of designer shades pushed up into her hair, she looked oddly normal.

"You're _not_ quitting on me," she stated, green eyes possessing his.

"I'm not?"

She sighed. "Look, I know we had a bad day, what with Sam's _lap-dogs_ playing the family man card. But it was _one_ bad day."

"_I know_," he replied in earnest, not wanting her to think he was weak. "That's not it. I just…I need to go home."

"And without you I won't _have_ a home. _Please, Chad_," she took a step forward. "Don't leave me alone in this." Her arm went out, hand resting on his bicep. In all the time Chad had known this woman, he had never seen her eyes filled with such open fear.

Chad was on the verge of apologizing for his amazing stupidity and begging her forgiveness, when Troy hopped out of the bathroom, asking where the toothpaste was.

Mimi peered over his shoulder. "Hi…"

"Um…hi."

"This is Troy," Chad hastened to inform. "He just got here yesterday…"

"Is he your boyfriend?" said Mimi, her expression suddenly shrewd. "Because that would explain a lot…"

"What? No!" Chad exclaimed, horrified. "He's my friend. My best _friend_. We went to high school together."

"_Oh_," her countenance melted into a smile. "So _you're_ the one dragging Chad off to New Mexico." Troy said nothing, seemingly stunned by the sudden appearance of a woman he had enthusiastically dissed a few hours ago.

"_I'm sorry_," Chad resumed, as if they had never strayed off the topic. "But I'll find you another lawyer, Mimi. A better one."

Her expression shifted once more, into a cloudy glower. "No, you won't." She drew her sunglasses out of her hair and put them on. "And something tells me you'll end up regretting this just as much as I will. Bye, Chad…"

For the duration of the flight to New Mexico, Chad was certain he had made the biggest blunder of his budding career.

By the time they had reached Albuquerque, Chad was desperate to go back. What was he _thinking_? He had come here for what? The chance to tell a few old classmates that he was recently unemployed? The desire to revisit memories and sentiments he knew he could never get back? The need to see a girl…_woman_ who had probably forgotten him years ago?

Chad stayed put in the rented SUV until Troy reminded him not to be "chickenshit" and that his mum was waiting.

After he had driven off, Chad stood in the driveway, staring at his old house. So little had changed. He found the familiarity comforting and ended up knocking with real enthusiasm. Chad had been bracing himself for the onslaught of Mrs. Danforth's affection and so was taken aback when a stranger greeted him.

"Chad!" he exclaimed, his cheer so over-the-top it was almost laughable.

He narrowed his eyes. "_Mark_?" So this was the infamous boyfriend. The one his mother had been gushing about relentlessly for six months. Mark was a reedy guy, sporting round, frameless glasses, with brown hair swept back, as if he had spent an hour in front of a wind machine. Chad was unimpressed.

"Nice to finally meet you, buddy!" Much to his horror and very much against his will, Chad was hugged.

"Um…you too?"

He smiled hard and turned back into the house. "Hey, Jo. Jo! Chad's home."

Chad suppressed a grimace. He had been away for _eight years_ and all he came back to was _this_? A jittery nerd who bore an eerie resemblance to Harry Potter? His father would be groaning in his grave.

"_Chad?_" his mother's exclamation rang from within the house and after some two seconds she appeared in the doorway, a grin lighting up her face. Mrs. Danforth's dark corkscrew curls were graying, her laugh lines were deeper. All of a sudden, Chad felt how much he had missed her and hugged her tight.

She ushered him inside, Mark carrying the luggage in after them. Mrs. Danforth wanted to know everything about his life in Washington; the girls he had dated, the food he had eaten, the lies he had told.

Despite the aggravating presence that was Mark, Chad realized that he was home and that a part of him had never left. He told his mother all he could.

**Sharpay **

Taylor was starting to freak her out. Ever since Sharpay arrived, she had been so…_nice_. She wanted to go shopping and 'do lunch'. With Sharpay. She asked about her life in New York and seemed genuinely interested. Surely it was all a sham and Taylor intended to shoot her in her sleep? Yes. That had to be it…

After two days at home, Sharpay was in desperate need of a buffer against Mrs. Evans' mothering. That buffer was Ryan, and Ryan was attached to Taylor. Therefore Sharpay had no choice but to ask the pair of them to come round for dinner.

She gave their long-suffering cook, Idina a day off and decided to practice her gastronomic skills, knowing Mrs. Evans would want nothing to do with it. Ryan and Taylor arrived to find Sharpay in a state of crisis.

"Something smells…_singed_," her brother remarked as he set a bottle of wine on the kitchen island.

"_It's the lamb_," Sharpay groaned, sweeping hair out her face as she peered into a saucepan. "I'm kind of overwhelmed, okay?" she protested at their laughter. "Nobody cooks their own food in New York!"

"_I'll help_."

Sharpay paused awkwardly at Taylor's offer. "Um…thanks."

Ryan took it upon himself to leave, much to her chagrin. Taylor walked round to Sharpay's side and picked up a knife. Shar licked her bottom lip and stared anxiously at the weapon. This was it. She was finally going to exact her long-overdue revenge, a la Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. The threat was proved to be imaginary, however, when Taylor turned to a haphazard pile of vegetables. Sharpay sighed, mumbling about how stupid she was as she watched her get to work.

"Don't worry about it!" Taylor chuckled. "I'm not particularly domestic myself."

In the quiet minutes that followed, Sharpay convinced herself that the best course of action was frankness. "_Don't_ feel obligated to be nice to me, Taylor. I mean, I know you and Ryan…"

Taylor frowned and hesitated for a moment before turning to her. "Sharpay, as much as I love your brother, I wouldn't suck up to you for _anything_." She gave an uncertain smile in response. "_What?_ You think I'm still mad about _Chad_? Eight years later? Sharpay, you didn't even break us up! We were never a definite thing…" Taylor sighed and shook her head. "Chad and I…we just sort of stumbled into each other. We already had two best friends in common. And double-dating seemed like a fun idea. It was…convenient. But it wasn't love."

Sharpay nodded, trying to suppress her inappropriate joy at this revelation.

"And what you have with Ryan?" Her thoughts drifted to Ryan's proposal. "That's love?"

Taylor bit her lip pensively. "Well…I'm not afraid to eat like a horse when he's around. And the best part of my day is seeing him. And when he looks at me I feel all warm and girly." She sighed and smiled. "That's love to me. Sounds dreamy, huh?"

Sharpay was taken aback by the sting of tears in her own eyes. "It…it sounds great." She smiled back and it was effortless. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Sharpay dragged her brother out of the living room (Mrs. Evans was preoccupied with baby photos), into the foyer.

"I want to know the Wheres the Whens and the Hows of this proposal," she murmured.

Ryan seemed a little surprised at her sudden enthusiasm. "East High, on the last night of the reunion…and I'm still kind of working on the logistics."

"Well, make haste then!" she urged. "If all goes well you will be engaged in four days." Sharpay was skipping back to the kitchen merrily when Ryan called, seemingly as an afterthought.

"Chad's back."

She halted in her tracks, as if the words had physically seized her. Sharpay turned on her heel, heart thumping against her chest and cocked an eyebrow.

"So?"

**A/N: Yep! In the next chapter are maybe lovers finally meet! Should be _interesting_…**


	6. Chapter 6

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**Author's Note: And now the moment you've all been waiting for. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint…**

**Chapter 5: Second Impressions**

**Chad**

For the first time in his life (or maybe the second if he considered his senior year in high school), Chad thought over what he was going to wear. In fact, he _agonized_ over it. He grabbed fistfuls of hair and paced the room and glared at the pile of clothes on his bed.

Would he be trying too hard in a jacket? Would he not be trying at all in a shirt? Would he end up looking like a bit fat poser if he turned up in his one designer suit? Would anybody care? No. Nobody except Sharpay. _She_ cared about that type of stuff and so _he_ cared about it.

Chad had tried and failed to be indifferent, to suppress the thrill of excitement and horror that followed his thoughts of her. A successful career, a nice car and several girlfriends (not all at once but still) had done nothing for his ego. He still cared. He wanted to impress her. And he _hated_ it.

"Is it safe to come in?"

In the space of two days Mark had managed to annoy Chad almost beyond endurance. Maybe it was his penchant for all things 'Star Wars'. Or the way he managed to infuse cheer and good-humor into everything he said. Maybe it was the fact that Mrs. Danforth seemed sort of crazy about him…

"_Sure_," Chad muttered.

Mark poked his head in through the doorway and Chad felt a flash of resentment towards the trespasser.

"Hey, your friend's here. Troy Bolton?"

"Where's my mum?"

"Force-feeding him cookies and grilling him about the past eight years." He smiled ruefully. "She really missed you guys."

"Why? She's got _you_, right?" Chad knew he sounded kind of sulky, but he couldn't help it. The old room seemed haunted by the ghost of his adolescent angst.

Mark shrugged. "I think I made it easier-"

"_Yeah, sure_. I'll be right down." He turned his attention back to the discarded pile of shirts. Maybe it was worth looking through again…

Chad found it easy _not_ to care about the slightly injured look on Mark's face. He had more pressing issues at hand. Like trying to remember whether Sharpay had liked him better in black or green…

**Sharpay **

The dress seemed to look better on her in the boutique, with the fluffy French designer cooing over her reflection.

Now, in her old pink bedroom, Sharpay felt sort of gaudy. The gold, Gladiator-inspired heels seemed questionable, too, as did the glaring lack of jewelry.

Coco Chanel had once advised fashionable young women such as herself to always take off the last thing they put on when accessorizing. Well, where was she now, when Sharpay felt bare and giddy and fiercely insecure?

Something wasn't right. Sharpay was an attractive, successful woman with _great_ hair. So why did she feel like such a loser?

A knock on the door broke up her musings. "Sharpay, are we going or what?"

"Taylor, get in here!"

The door swung open and Taylor walked in. Sharpay gritted her teeth in despair. She hardly seemed to have made an effort in a black chemise and tailored white trousers, her hair swept back into a bun. Damn her and her simple elegance!

"_With_ chunky gold bracelets, or _without_ chunky gold bracelets?" Sharpay quizzed immediately. "Think carefully. This is important."

"Why? Who are you trying to impress?"

"Only the _entire_ senior year, who will _obviously_ expect me to have maintained my fabulosity! Not to mention Ms. Darbus and Principal Matsui and…and…"

Taylor pursed her lips. "And Chad? _Gee, Sharpay_," she gushed before the other could protest. "You wouldn't be out to impress him, would you? Oh, of course not!" she scoffed. "Because that would mean you still have the hots for him. But you don't. _Of course_." Despite a valiant attempt, Sharpay could not fight the stinging pink blush in her cheeks. "Oh. My. Word." Taylor shook her head and laughed. "_You do_. You totally do!"

With a sudden lurch of speed, she was out the door. "I _told_ you!" Sharpay heard her yell down the hallway. "You owe me fifty bucks, Ryan Evans."

Sharpay groaned and buried her face in her hands. This was not good. Not good at all…

**Chad**

Troy and Chad felt very profound as they stood on the steps of East High. This was the place where they had learned and laughed and loved for the greater part of their lives. Now they were back to share their histories, to trace the path that had taken them away and brought them all back again.

Chad tilted his head to one side, cork screw curls trembling with the action.

"You think there'll be any booze?"

Troy scoffed. "There better be. I am _not_ looking forward to hearing Ms. Darbus rant about her latest _thee-ay-tah _production."

"Says her favorite thespian."

"I wasn't her favorite! It was always Sharpay."

Chad grinned a little and shook his head. "Yeah. It was…"

After a few seconds of silence he realized that his friend was staring at him, one eyebrow cocked. Chad cleared his throat and marched up the stairs without another word.

Music thumped down the hall with the tenacity of a heart beat. It seemed to be coming from the school gym and since that was where the glittery signs pointed to, they followed it. Chad was reminded a little too much of Prom Night. The memories rushed at him in blur of feverish dancing and hysterical laughter, of dresses on bedroom floors and hopeful murmurs of love.

Troy and Chad were greeted by cheers as they walked into the gym. Some thirty former Wildcats were scattered around and they gave a collective wave with the hands that weren't clutching wineglasses.

Kelsi Neilson was the first to fly at them. She hugged them tightly in turn, her words were almost incoherent as they rushed forth and were drowned in the music. Chad could tell she was excited anyway.

She continued to speak into Troy's ear as they traveled round the room, which was covered in red streamers and yellow fairy lights. A massive red banner hung above them, welcoming the Wildcats back. Chad had never been prone to nostalgia, but at the moment he felt it, along with an odd, heavy sadness.

Jason was the first friend they met. Except for a grizzly beard and a smiling wife affixed to his side, he remained unchanged.

Soon they found Zeke, who had gotten a little heavy, thanks to a successful career as a sous chef in LA, and Martha, who had two kids waiting at home. Gabriella was conspicuous by her absence.

All of Chad's discontent quickly gave way to excitement at meeting everyone. He was even happy to see Ms. Darbus and felt no need to scream in horror when she hugged him.

Twenty minutes and a glass of cold duck later, there was no sign of Taylor or Ryan (still dating as far as he knew) or Sharpay. Chad wondered how he would feel if she didn't come.

He never got the chance to figure it out as the gym doors swung open…

**Sharpay**

She had wanted to get there first. Sharpay felt she would have the advantage if _she_ got to watch _him_ walk into the room. But no such luck.

Even as Shar, Ryan and Taylor were flocked by a group of old friends, her gaze found him across the room.

Sharpay was torn between wanting these people to get the hell away from her, and wanting to use them as a shield against Chad's stare. It had been too long. How the hell was she supposed to do this?

"_Let's go say hi_." There was something discreet about Taylor's voice, even as she yelled over the music.

Although they seemed to trail behind her, Sharpay was conscious of Ryan and Taylor urging her forward.

They soon turned into nothing but disembodied hands as she realized he was here. He was actually _here_ and she was seeing him for the first time in…eight years? How did that happen? Sharpay held back as everyone else exchanged hugs and greetings. She smiled and nodded to Troy when they were through and forced herself to acknowledge Chad.

"_Well, look what the Wildcat dragged in_."

Sharpay had come up with the line days before, revised and rehearsed it thoroughly. She recited the words as planned, but her delivery was off. Instead of sounding wry and witty, her voice came as a murmur. Instead of smiling she bit her lip. She felt dizzy and stupid and looked away, abashed.

"Hi." He almost sounded apologetic.

"Hi."

The mother of all awkward silences fell over them, but was mercifully relieved when Ms. Darbus appeared and swept Sharpay up into a hug.

She felt his eyes on her even as she hid behind the older woman. Sharpay figured it was going to be a long weekend…

**Author's Note: Yes. I referred to champagne as 'cold duck'. Thank you Thesaurus for providing me with such lovely alternatives!**

**So as you know, I'm an adult now, therefore confident enough to not need anybody's approval. But I'm not _totally_ against reviews. So gimme some! _Please_… **


	7. Chapter 7

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**Author's Note: _Fangirl squee!_ I just saw some HSM 3 clips on E! News (as well as the Miley&Mandy challenge on YouTube- ACDC owns). It looks _hawt_ I tell you! Well, except for the Troyella duet. That was gag inducing stuff…**

**Chapter Six: A Pretty Pink Cut**

**Chad **

"_Bitch is still as pretty as she was in high school_."

Chad blinked in surprise and turned to see Taylor at his side. She smiled and inclined her head towards the blonde across the room. Said blonde was laughing airily at something Zeke had just said, and feigning ignorance to Chad's existence. For some unknown reason, it _really_ pissed him off.

Chad shrugged. "_I guess_…" He hated her dress. Or rather he hated that he loved her in it. The thing had clearly been designed to expose every sinew and curve, every expanse of pale, soft skin that was possible, without being offensive. She reminded him of Mimi, except Sharpay's appeal was effortless, relentless…

"Like you didn't notice," Taylor scoffed.

Chad pretended not to hear and threw a chummy arm around her shoulder. As with his mother, he only realized how much he had missed Taylor now that she was here.

"Let's talk about you and 'The Good Twin'," he decided, steering her around. "How is East High's last couple standing?"

"_We're happy_," she replied and the warmth of her tone made Chad smile. "But we're _not_ the last couple left standing." She slipped out from under his grasp and looked him straight in the eyes. "At least…we don't _have_ to be."

The total lack of subtlety was hard to ignore. Chad crossed his arms and exhaled. "I'm only gonna say this once, Tay," he began. "There will be _no_ romancing between me and Sharpay. We will say hi in the parking lot and make small talk at the snack table and in three days we will go back to our separate lives."

Taylor cocked an eyebrow. "And then what?"

He frowned, his shoulders slumping a little. "We forget each other all over again."

Taylor scoffed and looked ready to retort when the music cut and the shrill whine of a microphone made them all wince. They spun round to see Ms. Darbus, standing in red and gold splendor at the turntables. She sighed and smiled as the DJ moved aside.

"Good evening, Class of '07!" It seemed right to applaud just then and they did so. "_Ah_…" Darbus smiled wider and swept whitish blonde hair out of her face. "You have _no_ idea what _joy_ it brings me to see you all again. _Yes_. Even Chad."

He winked at her amidst the chuckles.

"We must thank _Principal Matsui_ and several other staff members that have made this weekend a possibility." Nods and cheers to the teachers loitering by the snack table. "And of course, thank _you_ for taking time out from your busy lives to see us old fogies again."

"We love you, Ms. Darbus!" a slightly drunken Jason called.

The woman looked both vaguely amused and touched. Darbus asked them all to follow her to the auditorium. She had put together some sort of film…

Chad and Taylor and Ryan and Sharpay unwillingly met at the doors, as both pairs tried to get out. Sharpay would be sitting with her brother and Chad still wanted to talk to Taylor. He could not help but be amused at the doubt clouding Ryan's eyes as Sharpay dragged him off. Nor could he help checking out 'The Evil Twin' as she strolled away…

They made themselves comfortable in the second row, next to Kelsi and Troy. The two girls immediately delved into girly reminiscing and so Chad turned to his friend for conversation.

"This is kind of great," Troy muttered. "Seeing everybody again. Did you know that Kelsi's a big time concert pianist? She travels all over the place."

Chad shrugged, quite impressed.

"_Sharpay_ probably knew." Troy nodded to the first row. "She was in New York once…"

At the mention of her name Chad found his gaze fixed on the front row, while Ms. Darbus fiddled with the projector on stage. It was weird how fascinated he was by her bare back. He knew Sharpay inside out but all of a sudden she seemed new, different…

"Principal Matsui would like to remind you that this will be on available on DVD, _for a nominal price_. All proceeds will go to new costumes for the Drama Club." A clamor of applause from Sharpay, Ryan and Kelsi. Ms. Darbus' smile faded into a scowl as she added: "And to _brand new _uniforms for the Wildcats basketball team." A roar of cheers from every male present, except Ryan. "All right. _Let the show begin_…"

**Sharpay **

Sharpay smiled as Ms. Darbus settled down nearby and the film reel shuddered to life. 'WAY BACK WHEN' appeared on the screen in bold, black letters, accompanied by an upbeat piano tune that reminded Sharpay of some Vaudeville production, or a Charlie Chaplin movie. Most of the clips seemed to have been downloaded from cellphones, which sort of killed the old-fashioned tone. But Sharpay wasn't fussed.

Over the next ten minutes there was a general chorus of sighs, laughter and whimpers. Flickering frames showed the Wildcats' championship victory, the Drama Club's Winter Musical, Zeke proudly displaying his crème brulée in the cafeteria, Gabriella and her blue ribbon at the Science Fair, Martha holding an impromptu dance-off in the hallway, Troy pigging out at lunch, Coach Bolton trying to teach Ms. Darbus how to make a free throw (this aroused a fit of laughter from the second row), the entire senior year at graduation. Sharpay stiffened as a series of couples began to appear. Troy and Gabbie, Ryan and Taylor…

She pressed her eyes shut. She didn't need to see it because it was already imprinted in her mind.

Sharpay getting down on one knee and mock proposing to Chad. Chad sighing sweetly and fluttering his eyelids. A short, sweet kiss that made her breathing hitch as if it was happening all over again.

Sharpay willed herself to open her eyes, just in time to see the film end with the words, 'WELCOME BACK'.

When the lights came on several alumni decided to say their goodbyes for the evening. Ms. Darbus reminded them to dress casually for Saturday's picnic. A few years ago Sharpay would have snorted at the idea of 'casual', but she had matured enough to know that Dolce and Gabbana did not work on a daily basis.

The young blonde and the older remained seated, Ms. Darbus wanting to know every detail of her exciting young life since leaving East High.

"And at what point did you decide _not_ to be an actress?" Darbus cocked an eyebrow.

"I didn't decide _not_ to," Sharpay replied hastily, feeling as if she had let her down somehow. "I just…there was so much more I could do. And I had so much fun with planning the Prom…it made me want to try something even bigger."

Ms. Darbus regarded her in silence for a moment before nodding, satisfied. She then went on to tell Sharpay that her niece had heard of 'Evans' Heavenly Weddings' and was desperate to know if she could do some pro bono work. Sharpay regretted to tell her that she didn't do favors. Besides, she was going to be planning a huge wedding soon, right there in New Mexico.

"_Huge_ you say," Sharpay nearly leaped out of her seat in horror when Taylor popped behind them. "Who's getting married?"

Her cheeks reddened as she stammered and grasped for a lie.

"_Who's_ getting married?" Her ability to think was further hindered by Chad's appearance.

"What's it to you?" she lashed out, like a cat in a corner.

"I'm just asking!"

"You're being nosy."

He scowled. "Also known as _friendly_. But then I can't expect the Ice Princess- forgive me- Ice_ Queen_ to appreciate-"

"_Now, now, children_." Ms. Darbus interjected. She got up in order to look down on them properly. "I think we're all a little tired and _very_ drunk. It's going to be a long and exciting day tomorrow so I suggest you head home."

With that, she drifted away and Taylor did the same, calling to Ryan across the room. For the first time that night Sharpay and Chad looked each other in the eyes. Or rather stared fiercely.

"Goodnight. "

He made to walk away but she suddenly felt unsatisfied. "_Goodnight_? That's all you have to say?"

"What else can I say? Without being insulted I mean…"

Sharpay's eyes narrowed to burning brown slits. "You're still an asshole."

"And you're still a frigid bitch. Night, Sharpay."

She realized that her store of witty, cutting remarks had dried up as she watched Chad walk away. She resisted the urge to stomp her foot in frustration. It was okay. There was always tomorrow.

Sharpay spent the rest of the night dredging up the witty, sharp remarks she would use to pay Chad back for the stinging, pink cut his words had left on her.

**Author's Note: It just occurred to me that as far as the movies go Sharpay is determined to be an actress (HSM 3 has her gunning for Julliard, right?). That kind of conflicts with my idea of her as a wedding planner. But then fan fiction is all about alternatives so I suppose it's okay! **

**So how am I doing with this? If it's good, great, if it's not, you must tell me anyway. I only write for you, my darlings, and I _don't_ want to write shit! Feedback appreciated mucho…**


	8. Chapter 8

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**Author's Note: My HSM fever has intensified! I just watched the first (and the best) one on Disney, then I brought the DVD out from under my bed and watched it thrice. In one day. _I feel dizzy_…**

**Oh, and I just re-read Chapter 6, in which Ms. Darbus reminds them to dress casually for the picnic. Bit of a boo-boo on my part! Said picnic will take place on _Sunday_. As for Saturday's activities…well, read on and find out!**

**Chapter 7: Eighteen Again **

**Chad **

As Mrs. Danforth doled bright yellow eggs out onto his plate, Chad realized that no one had cooked anything for him since college (except for one or two girlfriends). It was a nice sort of feeling, this surrender of independence. But he tried not to enjoy it too much. In two days he would go back to his empty apartment and Instant Macaroni, and this would all be a pleasant memory. The thought was like an ink blot on his happiness…

Chad's mum messed his hair up affectionately before sitting down to her own breakfast.

"So when's Sharpay coming over?" she inquired across the table.

Chad frowned and titled his head. "I'm thinking…_never_?"

Mrs. Danforth gave a grand roll of her eyes. "Please do _not_ try and tell me that after _all this time_, you're not the _least bit_ excited to see her."

He shrugged as he picked his bacon apart. "I'm excited to see everybody. What do you want from me, Mum?" he protested at her groan. "We can't just start over. Not even if we wanted to…"

"_Do you_ want to?"

Chad pressed his head into the palm of his hand with an air of exhaustion. What did it matter? She lived in New York and he lived in D.C. He broke people up and she brought them together. They were distant in so many ways. But yes. Yes, yes, _yes_, he wanted to. He still wanted _her_, so badly it almost hurt. But Chad wasn't about to say this to his mother.

"_It doesn't matter_…"

The reunion festivities would take place at Lava Springs that afternoon. For East High's alumni, recollections of an eventful summer lingered over the resort. For Chad, only one night came to mind.

"I heard Ryan scored us all free rooms for the day," Troy said as he steered the car into an adequate parking space.

"_Sweet_," Chad murmured. "He's gotten a lot cooler since Taylor."

"Yeah. What are they on now? Seven years?" Chad nodded and Troy swore in reverence. "He should just get it over with and marry her…"

Chad snorted, but as the valets appeared with the eagerness and mysticism of Christmas elves, Troy's words continued to ring in his ears…

**Sharpay **

Sharpay looked forward to seeing her parents' resort again. A little part of her still loved to show off the place at any opportunity. And with her living in New York, the opportunities had been few and far between.

Sharpay packed up her bathing suit and change of clothes for the evening, as per instruction. Since her second outfit would be blatantly chic, she decided to dress down for the afternoon in a yellow summer dress and cowboy boots. Apart from a beaded necklace that Taylor had bought her, Sharpay's ears, fingers and wrists went unadorned.

She was scrutinizing herself in the full-length mirror when an intent little knock interrupted her.

"_Yep_."

She turned to see Ryan slink into the room, one hand behind his back.

"_Taylor's downstairs_," he whispered, closing the door gently.

"_I guess it would be kinda stupid to whisper then_," she mimicked.

Ryan rolled his eyes in obvious agitation and walked over to her. He brought out his right hand, in which a little black box was clasped.

Her eyes widened as she snatched it. "_Is this_…" He nodded feverishly. Sharpay flipped open the box and gasped at the shiny splendor within.

"_Holy crap!_ Is that a canary diamond? Ryan, are you nuts? You can't afford this."

"Would you rather I kick off my engagement with something out of a cereal box?"

Sharpay felt like a bit of a jerk as she looked up at her brother. Coaching Drama at the East Middle School didn't exactly bring in the big bucks. But Ryan had clearly scrimped and saved for this and the strain showed in his eyes.

"_Course not_," Sharpay murmured and thumped his shoulder. "It's beautiful and she'll love it."

The beginnings of a smile were lighting up his face when Taylor burst into the room. Ryan spun round and shoved the box into Sharpay's hands. Sharpay in turn hid it behind her back.

"I'm not interrupting a tender moment, am I?" The siblings shook their heads and smiled hard. "Well, let's go then! Lava Springs awaits…"

**Chad **

Fulton seemed a lot more amiable now that he wasn't forcing them to scrape grease off of dinner plates. He welcomed Troy, Chad and the Wildcats that followed with open arms and a big smile. A smile that probably came from the fact that they were seriously over-charging the school for this venue.

Ms. Darbus and Principal Matsui were already there, as were Kelsi, Zeke and Jason, _sans_ pretty wife. Many more faceless friends of old were scattered around the lobby.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Troy asked as they were offered weird, fruity little drinks.

"_Baseball!_" East High's Principal announced.

"And right after dinner…kareoke!" Ms. Darbus chimed.

Chad smirked at his best friend, who was trying not to look excited.

Over the next half-hour the rest of the alum appeared, among them Sharpay, Ryan and Taylor. Considering their brief spat yesterday, Chad was hesitant to approach and she seemed to feel the same. Thus they could only interact through silent glares across the room.

After they had mingled sufficiently, Ms. Darbus asked them all to make their way towards the baseball field. Chad felt confident about the whole thing. It had been a while since he touched a bat, but he was certain he could still kick ass in any sport.

They were randomly divided into four teams. Chad seamlessly took charge of his, 'The Rolling Stones', while Zeke rushed to head 'The Jolly Rogers'. Ryan had once proven himself to be an apt pitcher and led, 'The Jolly Rogers', while Jason cheerily batted for 'The Coco Pops'. Sharpay, for some _unfathomable_ reason, ended up in charge of her own group, 'The Bohemians'. Chad felt rather sorry for her as her team was chosen to go up against his…

Chad tugged the allocated black cap over his hair and grinned. Sharpay's team of nine included Kelsi, Martha and Dutch Whitlock, a friendly, curly-haired guy who had once belonged to the 'Skater Dudes' in high school. She stood on the pitcher's mound, looking totally at odds in her cute little dress and cowboy boots, red cap worn backwards.

Those who had decided to sit the game out contributed by cheering loudly from the stands.

As he swung his bat around, trying to get a feel for it, Chad could not help but tease her a little.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he called across the field. "_I won't hurt you_." Troy, taking the position of catcher, laughed a little from where he crouched.

Sharpay surprised him by not replying. Instead she smiled, gave her shoulders a little shake and reared back. Her arm went out so fast that Chad almost didn't see it and he yelped as the ball whizzed past him. The quiet smack of the sphere in Troy's mitt brought on a stunned silence.

Sharpay pouted and rested a hand on her hip. "Hey, did you miss? _Sorry_. It just happened so fast…"

Almost everyone burst out laughing. Troy was only silenced by a thump on the head.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Sharpay continued. "_I won't hurt you_. Now let's stop being pussies and play a real game already!"

Chad smirked and shook his head. He was never one to back down from a challenge, especially not from her.

"You sure you wanna go there, Evans?"

"Oh, I'm already gone…"

Chad ended up striking out, partly because he was too impressed to make a valid effort, and partly because she kind of scared him.

"Where did you learn to pitch?" he demanded before leaving the field.

"You think my darling wimp of a brother taught himself?"

Chad struggled against a grin as he crossed his arms. "And there was me thinking you were all out of surprises…"

Sharpay shrugged and smiled a smile that was open and harmless. Chad almost forgot that he wasn't allowed to kiss her anymore…

**Sharpay **

Sharpay's 'Bohemian's lost to Chad's 'Rolling Stones', but only because Kelsi couldn't swing a bat to save her life. Sharpay screamed this at her several times throughout the game, until the pianist finally broke down and Troy forced her to apologize.

When the game was done (Chad's team went on to beat Ryan's, only to lose to Jason's 'Coco Pops'), they all drifted off in pursuit of individual pleasures.

Sharpay bought Kelsi and Martha a round of drinks, to make up for her previous freak out. Troy, Chad and the former Wildcats ran off for a quick basketball game before dinner. Ryan and Taylor went to capture a bit of alone time as they had spent the greater part of the day with others. Sharpay watched them disappear with a pang of envy.

"Shar, do you have any tissue?" Martha inquired in her sweet, careful tones, as if it pained her to ask anyone for anything.

"_Sure_…" she smiled and reached into her bag. Sharpay's fingers grazed something hard and square and she realized that she had forgotten to give back Taylor's ring. She handed Martha her Kleenex and made a mental note to return it before tomorrow.

As the sun set over the resort, the women disbanded in order to get prettied up for the night. Sharpay spent more time on this than was necessary and by the time she was out of her room she still felt like a jittery teenager on Prom Night. Which she had once been…

She paused outside of her door for a moment, using this quiet time to sneak one last peek at the ring. Sharpay sighed as she stroked the diamond with her pinkie. She was happy for them, yes. But at the same time she wondered why it had to be them. What had they done right?

"So who's getting married?"

Sharpay started in shock and dropped the box. The engagement ring clattered out and rolled across the floor. Chad snatched it up before Sharpay could.

"Give that back!"

"Who's this for?" Sharpay lunged forward, whereupon Chad grabbed her wrist, holding his other hand aloft. "Is it Ryan's? He's gonna ask Taylor to marry him." She stopped struggling and exhaled hard. Chad grinned. "He is? No fucking way!"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "Mind letting go of me?"

An apologetic look flashed across his face as he released her. "And could you maybe refrain from using such primitive language around me?"

"_Pardon me_," he gave a remorseful little bow, "I forgot I was in the presence of royalty."

He straightened up and matched her stare. "_Good for them_," he murmured, seemingly as an afterthought. "They're kind of perfect together."

"Yeah." Sharpay replied and pretended that she was thinking about Ryan and Taylor. "They are."

Chad offered to walk her to the dining room and Sharpay declined, knowing well enough for both of them that it would be a bad idea…

**Author's Note: _We're soarin', flyin'…_**


	9. Chapter 9

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**Author's Note: Hey, everyone! So I know a few of you have been wondering about Gabbie. Don't worry. I have a plan… **

**Chapter 8: Old Songs **

**Chad**

The idea of a Memory Table struck Chad as pretty corny. But now that he saw it, covered in red satin and pieces of the past, he was touched.

Chad spotted a crinkled sheaf of sheet music from Kelsi, a crusty old pair of Converse sneakers from Jason (allegedly lucky), a CD walkman from Martha and other bits and pieces that were probably more significant than they looked. He placed a scuffed basketball in the center of the table. Troy put a T-shaped necklace next to it and Chad was suddenly struck by Gabbie's not being there.

"Why didn't you get her one with a G?"

"Huh?"

"You practically branded her. _Property of Troy!_"

Troy frowned deeply and scratched the back of his head. "It seemed like a good idea at the time…"

Chad forced down a laugh and tried for some sympathy. "Does it bug you? That she's not here…"

Troy grinned. "_No_. Unlike you, I'm actually over my ex."

His friend departed with a smirk, leaving Chad to gape after him in horror…

**Sharpay **

The dining room buzzed with the happy, frothy chatter of East High's alum. The trio (well, really _the duo_ with Sharpay as a third wheel) walked over to the Memory Table that had been mentioned in the invite. Sharpay and Taylor gushed as they looked over the colorful contents…

A crème brulée dish, doubtlessly from Zeke, an old skateboard that might have been from Dutch, a shiny 'T' necklace ("She looked _so_ lame walking around with that thing," Sharpay scoffed and was quickly silenced by Taylor's frown), and an old basketball.

Sharpay's gaze lingered there. There was something stunningly sad about the faded orange thing, as if it held the ghost of a Chad long since gone.

Shar put down her Star Dazzle Award (Fulton had 'allowed' her to take one to New York a few years ago), along with Ryan's. Taylor set a little gold crucifix down next to these.

"Significance?" Sharpay quizzed.

Taylor smiled vaguely. "My grandmother's…"

Out of the corner of her eye Sharpay caught Ryan squeeze Taylor's hand and decided not to press any further.

They began to scan the room for an available table and found that the only one with people they really knew was Troy and Chad's. If Chad hadn't been there, Sharpay wouldn't have recognized Troy, what with his messed up new hair.

Shar plopped down across from Troy, cutting off his conversation with Kelsi. Her eyes lingered over the pair and their big cheesy grins. Sharpay glanced at Chad and noted that he seemed relieved to see them. Maybe her in particular…

**Chad **

It was a lot harder to ignore a person when they were sitting right across from you. Talking to people _right next to you_. Chad was having a hard time not looking at Sharpay, or arguing with her over some bogus comment she made about basketball, or laughing at some dry joke that was only funny because she thought it was.

Chad didn't know that much about her life without him. He _wanted_ to know. He wanted to know about every movie he had loved that she hated, every book she had read that he never found time for, every guy she had pretended to love because there was no way anyone could make her feel the way he had.

Sharpay glanced his way, her look just long enough to embarrass him, before returning to Kelsi.

Chad hastily turned his attention to Ryan and Taylor and was stunned by the recollection that they would be engaged soon. How soon? He would have to ask Sharpay…

"Is this thing on? Is it- _oh_. Good evening, everyone."

"_Evening, Principal Matsui_," they chorused.

He adjusted his glasses with what looked bashfulness. "Thank you. _Well_…we've just received a letter of apology from Gabriella Montez. As you probably know, Gabriella is currently on a book tour in South America, promoting her children's series. Although she will be unable to make the reunion, she sends her love to all of you. Particularly Taylor McKessie." A chorus of 'aw' started up, only to be cut off by the Principal. "_Moving on_. 'Way Back When' will be available on DVD as of tomorrow…"

**Sharpay **

Sharpay was so enthralled by the sinewy arms and big, dark eyes and ridiculous hair that made up Chad, she almost missed Principal Matsui's notices.

"_Letter of apology from Gabriella Montez_…"

Sharpay blinked thoroughly and looked away. She had seen it all before, damn it! But he was still so…pretty?

"_Gabriella is currently on a book tour in South America, promoting her children's series…"_

How long had it been since she was with someone she actually wanted? Effortlessly, desperately wanted. Sharpay didn't believe in serial dating, so her chances at a breath-taking, earth-shattering experience had been limited. Maybe those kinds of things only came round once in a lifetime. Maybe her chance had come and gone. And come again…

"_Particularly Taylor McKessie…_"

Sharpay glanced at Taylor and noted the sadness hidden in her eyes. She exchanged a look with Ryan and knew what had to be done. The maybe wedding just wouldn't be perfect without the bride's best friend around. Sharpay stuffed a bread roll in her mouth to keep from groaning. Ms. Montez had to be there and Sharpay had to make sure it happened…

"Thank you _very much_, Principal!" Ms. Darbus gushed, her cheeks a little pink from an excess of alcohol. "And now the moment you've all been waiting for…" Sharpay smirked at Chad's groan. "Ka-re-o-ke!"

Much to Sharpay's chagrin, the alum who had submitted their names would be required to perform duets. Even with Ryan there, Sharpay would have much preferred the opportunity to shine alone. This dress was practically made for the stage…

The pairs were allegedly selected at random but Sharpay didn't buy it for a second. Only an evil genius could be the cause of Zeke and Jason singing 'Wake Me Up Before You Go, Go'. Sharpay glanced at Troy and giggled quietly at the thought of finally getting her duet. Sadly it would be eight years too late and she didn't really give a shit anymore…

Among the many couples that night were Ryan and Martha, who gave an upbeat and campy performance of 'Don't Go Breakin' My Heart'. Taylor and Dutch tried their best to look angst-ridden while cackling through 'I Would Do Anything For Love' and then Troy and Kelsi brought the house down with 'I've Got You, Babe.'

Kelsi was no singer. Not to say she was a _bad_ singer. Her voice was sweet and warbling and with a little spurring from Troy, she quickly gained confidence.

Sharpay realized that everybody on their table had been paired up, except them. She looked over the empty dinner plates at Chad, hoping to see something other than complete horror in his eyes.

"And now, singing 'Islands In The Stream', _Chad and Sharpay_…"

**Author's Note: There shall be more Chadpay type action in the next chappie. Or my name isn't CurlySweet! **


	10. Chapter 10

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**Author's Note: Yippee! We are coming to the big 10! I figure 10's a very significant number, 'cause you know, it has double digits, which translates to a couple, which is what Chad and Sharpay are. Sort of. Anyway, let's not neglect 9. Hope you enjoy…**

**Random Disclaimer: I do not claim to own 'Islands In The Stream' by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.**

**Chapter 9: A Duet **

**Chad **

It seemed Chad's only option at that point was to kill himself with a desert fork. He glanced at Sharpay who, in a complete departure from her usual self, was trying to become invisible. He looked to Troy, desperate for rescue, but his friend only clapped heartily. Taylor was doing the same, _and_ Ryan, and…_shit_, even Darbus. There was no escape.

"Oh, _come now_, you two!" the old professor prompted. "These people want a show…"

The general applause grew at this and Chad was horrified to see Sharpay rise.

"_Can't deny 'em that_," she shrugged.

"I-I don't really do…the singing thing." He meant it. Chad's vocal talents had never gone beyond the shower. And nobody was watching him then.

"_Aw_," Sharpay pouted. "What's the matter, hun? You scared?"

Chad knew she was taunting him but that didn't make it any easier for him to resist. He literally rose to the challenge, rolling up the sleeves of his dark shirt a little more.

"Of you? _Nah_…"

Once on 'stage' (it was really just the platform where Kelsi had once been made to play piano), he realized that he had underestimated Troy. Chad was totally out of his depth here, with almost all of his old friends watching him flounder.

"I only know the chorus…" he mumbled to Sharpay.

"It's kareoke," she smoothed down her midnight blue dress and graciously accepted a microphone. "The words are right there." She pointed to the screen off the side. He sighed and shook his shoulders. Someone in the audience whooped randomly and he tried to grin. The lights dimmed as the old country ballad started up…

Chad would have to kick it off on his own. "_Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown_…_"_

For the first time in his life, Chad did _not_ like being the center of attention. He focused on Sharpay, who stared straight ahead, as he tried to stifle his nerves. "_I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb_…" he was suddenly aware of the corny lyrics and grinned a little. "_I was soft inside, there was something going on_…" he placed a hand over his heart theatrically and inclined his head towards her. Chad thought he saw the flicker of a smile…

"_You do something to me that I can't explain," _Sharpay raised the mic to her lips and joined in_. "Hold me closer, and I feel no pain. Every beat of my heart, we got something goin' on…_" The random whooper struck again, and was joined by Taylor and Troy this time. They were trying to encourage him and it worked.

"_Tender love is blind, it requires a dedication. Honest love, we feel, needs no conversation…" _They actually sounded good together. Like chocolate and peanut butter was the only way he could describe it.

"_And we ride it together, uh huh…making love with each other, uh huh…_" The last line caught Chad off guard and he blushed unwillingly. He turned to the crowd.

"_Islands in the stream, that is what we are. No one in between, how can we be wrong? Sail away with me, to another world. And we rely on each other, uh huh._ _From one lover to another, uh huh…_"

Somewhere along the way people had begun to clap and Chad figured he was pretty good at the singing thing after all. Or maybe Sharpay just made him sound better…

**Sharpay **

It had been a while since she performed in front of people. Sharpay almost forgot how much she loved this. Now if only _Chad_ hadn't been there, staring her down with those beautiful eyes of his and singing almost as well as her.

"This isn't a solo, Sharpay!" she heard Ryan call as they all clapped along.

Sharpay gritted her teeth and looked up. "_One more word and I'll kick your_-" A hand touched her chin gently, reminding her that Chad was there. Sharpay picked up her cue mindlessly.

"_I can't live without you if the love is gone_," her tone had deepened and softened over the years, losing its babyish croon. "_Everything is nothin' if you've got no one, and you just walk in the night,_ _slowly losing sight of the real thing…_"

"_But that won't happen to us, and we got no doubt_," Chad chimed. He seemed to be enjoying this more than her and that didn't seem right. "_Too deep in love, and we got no way out. And the message is clear, this could be the year for the real thing_…"

When the chorus came around and the drums picked up their tempo, Sharpay put her heart into it.

"_Islands in the stream, that is what we are_…" Seemingly high on his success, Chad took a bold step forward, bursting her personal bubble. Sharpay moved forward, too and her smirk was almost a smile. "_No-one in between, how can we be wrong_?" He took her hand and it didn't occur to her to mind. "_Sail away with me, to another world, and we rely on each other, uh huh…"_

Sharpay was unconscious of the riotous cheers around them. How could she hear anything else with Chad's voice in her ears? And she certainly couldn't _see_ anything else when his eyes were trained on her so intently.

"_From one lover to another, uh huh_…"

The music faded and the spell seemed to break. Sharpay pulled back, her cheeks reddening.

Ms. Darbus appeared, applauding ferociously, and for the rest of dinner Sharpay couldn't take her eyes off him.

"So I guess Chad's replaced me as your singing partner," Ryan sighed and Taylor rubbed his shoulder consolingly. It was nearing one o'clock in the morning and the Wildcats were drifting home steadily.

"_As if he could_," Shar scoffed.

"Oh, you know I rocked, Evans," Chad appeared behind her, a smarmy grin on his face. She was seized by the urge to hit him hard and kiss him even harder.

"_Yeah, fine, whatever_. You were okay."

"You weren't so bad yourself," he smiled down at her. It was funny how everybody else seemed to melt away when he looked at her.

"Half-hour drive back to Albuquerque," Troy materialized beside them. "We better head home before our mums start calling."

Chad conceded with a shrug and began to say his goodbyes. While Taylor hugged Troy and Kelsi, Sharpay caught a brief, murmured exchange between Chad and her brother. Ryan's eyes widened a little in the face of the other man's warm laugh.

"Don't miss me too much, Evans," Chad called, as he and Troy walked away.

"_I'll try_," she replied and tried not to mean it. She had almost forgotten Ryan when he poked her side.

"_You told somebody?_" he hissed.

Sharpay's cheeks reddened as he glared at her. "_You didn't tell me _not_ to_."

"Tell you not to _what_?" Taylor inquired, fiddling with the car keys.

The trio swapped uncertain glances and Sharpay knew that she had just royally fucked up…

**Author's Note: So half of that was song lyrics, but I hope they carried along the plot well enough. **

**Anywho, tomorrow's Sunday (in the fic)! Last day of the reunion. All kinds of good stuff could happen. Or not.**

**Go on. Share the love. Review…**


	11. Chapter 11

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**Author's Note: Chapter 10! For this momentous occasion we shall pop a bottle of virtual champagne (the real stuff makes me queasy)! **

**Now all this talk of alcohol has got me thinking. Are most of you guys sweet sixteeners, or older? Don't feel obligated to tell me. I'm just uncertain about the younger readers of 'BY&M' being exposed to the more…'adult' elements of 'TSLoU'? Like all the swearing and other such sexy business… **

**Chapter 10: Lie To Me**

**Chad**

Chad woke up to and cringed at the sound of his mother's giggles, intermingled with Mark's. What could be so damn funny this early in the morning? The sizzling sounds of breakfast drifted up to his room but his usually eager stomach remained still. He rolled over and tugged a pillow up around his ears…

The night before, Chad barely managed to get his shoes off before falling asleep. He dreamed a dream that was more of a memory and it starred a ruthlessly naked Sharpay, stretched out over his study desk. Every time he approached her a stack of books would appear at his feet and trip him up. Eventually the books piled up so high that Chad could only hear her telling him that love was for dentists, not lawyers…

He dragged himself out of bed, intending to take as cold a shower as possible. After cooling down and dressing up, Chad made his way downstairs. Upon walking into the kitchen, Chad's eyeballs nearly melted out of their sockets at the sight of Mark and Mrs. Danforth making out.

He emitted an almost girlish streak and they quickly disentangled, Mark grinning sheepishly.

"What are you _doing_?"

"Well, Chad," his mother began. "When a man and woman love each other _very much_…"

"Stop right there," he ordered, causing them to snigger with adolescent delight. Chad rolled his eyes. "Now I can't eat…"

"You sure?" Mark chirped. "I'm making pancakes."

"Burning pancakes."

The older man yelped in surprise and lunged at the smoky skillet. Mrs. Danforth sighed nonchalantly and flopped down at the table next to Chad.

"So have you told her you love her yet?"

He knew what she was talking about without having to ask. And he _didn't_ want to talk about it.

"You _do_ realize that this is your last day together?"

Chad fought the urge to argue that he could always come back for the maybe wedding. As much as he loved her he could not trust her to keep it quiet. Instead he shrugged.

Before Mrs. Danforth could probe further his cell phone rang. He was stunned, in a not so bad way, to see that it was Sharpay.

"Why are you calling me?"

"Because I can't go a day without hearing that sexy voice," she droned.

"_Aw, shucks_."

"Shut up. Ryan wants me to remind you _not_ to tell anybody about the proposal. He's getting all nervous…"

"Wasn't going to." Oddly enough, Chad felt nervous for him. He knew from past experience that Taylor could be hurtful without even trying. "Is it today?"

"Yep. I'm helping him set everything up…"

"I can help, too," the words rushed out before his brain could catch up. "I mean…if you need me…"

"Well, many hands make light work so…_yeah_. Why not? See you later…"

"Sure."

Chad took note of the fact that this was the least awkward conversation they had had so far. Towards the end of senior year, Chad and Sharpay would call each other relentlessly, and it resulted in a phone bill so high Mrs. Danforth nearly died of shock.

He only realized that he was grinning when saw his mother doing the same.

"Now where were we…"

**Sharpay **

Sharpay had long since stopped paying attention to her brother. While Ryan paced the room, tapping the little box in his hand, her mind drifted to the phone call she had made earlier. He _did_ have a sexy sort of voice. And the thought that she would probably never hear it again made her chest ache. Sharpay tried to combat it with positivity.

There was always the wedding. Chad would want to attend…for Taylor, of course. But then that could be months away, depending on the scope of it. And how long would he be in D.C for before finding a new job? If he dumped another client, the way he had with the Senator's wife, he would probably never work again…

Sharpay was suddenly bitch-slapped by the reality of the situation. Chad was leaving tomorrow. He wasn't coming back. The revelation that followed left her reeling: she didn't want him to go.

"Sharpay! Are you listening to me?"

She blinked. "Of course, I am."

Ryan crossed his arms. "What did I just say?"

"You're nervous."

"That was five minutes ago. Now I'm scared shitless." All of a sudden his whole frame seemed to sag. "What if she says no?"

"She won't."

"What if she does?"

"Well, you'll be crushed." Ryan groaned and flopped down on the bed beside her. "But then you'll be okay!" she insisted. "There're other fishies in the sea."

"No! Taylor is the only fish for me! Same way Chad's the only fish for you…"

"What're you talking about?"

"Oh, gimme a break. You're still hot for each other and everybody knows it." He turned his wide, blue gaze up at her. "And I _want_ to tell you to go for it, Sharpay. I want to tell you it could work. But…"

Sharpay tensed. "_What?_"

"You have totally separate lives now," he replied and it seemed to be a strain to speak. "Realistically-"

"I don't want realistic," she snapped. "I want-"

The hooting of Taylor's car sounded from the driveway, and was followed by her asking them to please hurry the fuck up.

The siblings stood, Sharpay fussing with her tiered pink dress, Ryan stuffing the ring box into his back pocket.

"You ready?"

"Yep. You?"

Ryan smiled a little and put an arm around her shoulder. They made their way downstairs, equally hopeful and equally terrified…

**Author's Note: All right. I want _ten_ reviews by tomorrow or the fic gets it! And by 'it' I mean removed!**

**Heehee. I joke. It's not cool to hold stories for ransom. But seriously. I feel bad inside when you don't review. So please do.**

**Oh, and school's closing (_yippee-ka-yay_!). So updates will be mucho speedy from now on…**


	12. Chapter 12

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**Author's Note: I know this is annoyingly short! But I promised speedy updates and I shall deliver…**

**Chapter 11: Proposals- Part Un **

**Chad**

"And where are _you_ going?"

"_Bathroom_. Potato salad isn't sitting well…"

Taylor gave a grimace that was somewhere between sympathy and distaste, but said nothing as Chad abandoned the picnic proceedings. He checked his watch and figured they had about twenty minutes before the maybe fiancée grew suspicious…

At exactly five o'clock, Chad, Ryan and Sharpay convened in a quiet hallway, the siblings clutching two cardboard boxes. Sharpay's box was half as big as she, and Chad hastened to help.

"_I'm fine_," she huffed, tightening her grasp.

"Really? 'Cause you look ready to keel over." His fingers grazed hers as he reached around it. Chad shifted his hold and pretended not to have noticed.

"Just give him the fucking box!"

Ryan was as edgy as his sister had described. Probably even more at this point. His usually amiable expression had darkened into one similar to that of an escaped convict.

"There's more stuff in the car," he instructed, eyes flickering over every corner as they hurried towards the auditorium. "I need you to get it while I set up. Don't let _anybody_ see you."

"And if somebody sees us?"

"Lie. Kill them. Whatever…"

He seemed serious and Chad decided not to aggravate the guy with more questions. So while Ryan darted around the stage, Chad and Sharpay crept out of the school.

The distant sounds of laughter and music drifted up to the parking lot and Chad found himself wishing for a hotdog. He was just contemplating the amount of mustard he would put on said hotdog when Sharpay grabbed his arm and yanked him behind a car.

"Troy Alert," she muttered and Chad chanced a glimpse at his friend through the windows. Troy's car was a good five feet from Ryan's but there was no time to be wasted hiding from him. He figured they could make it without being seen and inclined his head silently to communicate this. Sharpay nodded and they crept on, heads lowered.

They had barely made it five feet before an incredulous voice quizzed:

"What are you doing?"

**Sharpay**

Sharpay stalled under Troy's curious gaze, her back aching a little from her awkward, crouching position. She flashed an annoyed look at Chad, expecting him to come up with a suitable lie for his friend. Alas, no spark of inspiration lit his eyes.

"What are _you_ doing?" she asked, hoping that the stupidity of the reply would distract him.

"Beer supply running dangerously low. But enough about me. What are you doing?"

"We were just going to…" Chad straightened up, a hand drifting to the back of his head, "_have a quickie_."

A pair of brown eyes and a pair of blue ones widened in unison.

"In whose car?" Troy demanded. Sharpay scoffed and rolled her eyes. Never mind the fact that his best friend had randomly decided to hook up with…it suddenly came back to her that he was lying and she could not help but feel let down.

"Ryan's," Chad responded and Sharpay had to bite her lip to suppress a shriek of horror. If they were to have some brief encounter of a sexual nature, it sure as hell wouldn't happen in her brother's car.

"You know…" Sharpay began, straining to keep up the pretense, "We might have to take a rain check. Your nosiness is kind of killing the mood, Troy."

"_Damn you_," Chad hissed.

The lunkhead narrowed his eyes, clearly wanting to inquire further. But he seemed to decide against for the time being and apologized for the death of Sharpay's mood, before walking back to his own car. They watched him as inconspicuously as possible until he disappeared.

Sharpay had just opened her mouth for a relieved exclamation when Chad remarked:

"About that quickie…"

She was caught off and forgot to scowl. "You had your fun…"

He gave a smirk to mirror her own, but it wasn't entirely confident.

She hadn't expected him to press any further, but when when he didn't she was unprepared for her own disappointment. Sharpay forced herself to focus on the task at hand as they made for the car in discomfited silence…

"You'll tell Troy that you lied, right?" she reminded him. "After Ryan's proposal."

Chad grinned and Sharpay was totally unconvinced. "Whatever you say, princess."

**A/N- It feels unnatural **_**not**_** to end a chapter with an Author's Note! And that's why I'm writing this. Ah, the randomness of my life…**


	13. Chapter 13

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**Author's Note: This is a long chapter. That's all for now!**

**Chapter 12: Proposals- Part Deux **

**Chad**

Chad took a stab at chivalry and offered Sharpay the paper marché camel, while he stood. Ryan was taking a lot longer than he had promised in bringing Taylor, and it was dim and musty behind the curtain. But Chad felt miraculously patient as he stared at the blonde two feet away.

There was something affecting about the sight of her; head down, legs stretched out over the floor, knees pressed together.

"You look a little down, Evans."

She frowned. "Do I?" He nodded. "Well, I'm not. Not really…" She bit her lip. "It's just…Ryan's my best friend. He's always looked out for me. But now he has this _other_ girl in his life who needs just as much love and support. I can't expect him to take care of both of us…"

The familiarity of the confession tugged at him until he remembered that he had heard it years ago. Chad was clearing out his room when Sharpay stormed in, ranting fervently. Her brother had refused to accompany her on a shopping spree, opting to spend the day with the McKessie clan instead.

Chad sympathized with Ryan, but was not stupid enough to say so.

"_I don't wanna lose him_…"

"You won't," he asserted, pulling her into a hug. "But if you do…well, you've always got the consolation prize, right?"

After a sullen moment she softened and hugged him back. "_Always_…"

"But whatever. I'm a big girl now." Chad blinked out of his reverie and barely had time to rearrange his thoughts before Sharpay quizzed: "Hey, what're you looking at me for anyway?"

A retort leaned off the tip of his tongue, but at that moment the auditorium doors swung open and shut. Chad heard Sharpay scramble up, and then footsteps shuffling down the aisle.

"Why is it so dark in here?"

**Sharpay**

The stairs creaked a little as Ryan and Taylor's shadowy forms mounted them. Sharpay tensed and gripped the cord in her hands. This was it…

Despite her fears of Ryan choosing his girlfriend over her, Sharpay still wanted them to work. They _had to_, because her brother had never been as happy as he was with Taylor. Not to mention the fact that she had some very inspiring shoes in her closet, which Sharpay would never borrow if she said no.

"What're we doing here?" Taylor continued to quiz.

"We're going to take a walk-"

"We won't get very far in this light."

"_Shh. _We're going to take a walk down memory lane…"

"The nostalgia finally got to you, huh?"

"_A walk down memory lane_…" he repeated and Sharpay picked up her cue.

A path of golden fairy lights flickered to life. It wove across the stage, with landmarks set up every five feet. A puzzled silence followed, in which Ryan took Taylor's hand and tugged her forward a little.

"What's going…"

"_Look_." A dark green bench was placed along the path, a blue-gray tree (courtesy of the Art Department) rising up behind it.

"Beyer Park?"

"First time I kissed you."

"You kissed my teeth!"

"'Cause _you_ wouldn't stop smiling."

Taylor snorted fondly. "Well, you got it right the second time…"

Ryan led her away from this, to a little wrought-iron table, with chairs to match and a menu card perched on top of it.

"_Scalo's_," she murmured, seeming to savor the name.

"First real date."

"Which you couldn't afford."

"Dad picked a really shitty time to cancel my credit card." Sharpay blushed guiltily behind the curtain. Mr. Evans had cancelled _her_ card, whereupon she swapped it with Ryan's…

"You tried to slip the owner an I.O.U."

"And he made us wash dishes the rest of the night. I swear he was Mussolini incarnate…"

They carried on like this, doting on the illustrations of their lives together. Sharpay wondered how long _her_ path would be, if she pooled all her past relationships together. She glanced at Chad…

"_Tay_…" Sharpay's head snapped back to the scene. "These past eight years…they've been the best years of my life."

"_Mine, too_…"

He nodded feverishly before reaching into his back pocket…

**Chad**

For the first time in his life, Chad envied Ryan Evans. He envied his bravery, his commitment. He glanced at the woman huddled nearby and wondered how different things would have been if they had stayed…

"_Good_," Ryan continued on stage. "Because I want-"

"_Holy crap!_"Taylor took an abrupt step back. "You're going to propose, aren't you?"

Ryan stood dumb-founded for a moment, but before he could grasp anything to say she exclaimed:

"Okay! I mean…_yes_. I mean…I want to marry you. I'm scared out of my mind but I want to marry you!" Three relieved sighs were heaved at once and Ryan began to laugh.

"Can I ask you first?"

"What? Oh." Taylor chuckled nervously as he got down on one knee. "_Okay_. Go for it. _Sorry_," she continued before he could open the ring box. "I'm being too laconic, aren't? I'm killing the moment. And it's all so sweet. You worked so hard…"

"_Taylor_," he smiled up at her. "Please stop talking."

"_Okay_."

"I'd really like eight more years. I'd like forever if God's in a generous mood. Will you marry me?"

Chad heard a sniff nearby. He turned to see silent tears coursing down Sharpay's cheeks. He hesitated for a moment, before reaching out and pulling her to him. He knew it wasn't the best move to make at that moment, but then he didn't want to be the asshole that stood by while she cried. She didn't seem to mind much anyway…

They slipped out of the auditorium, leaving Ryan and Taylor to themselves for the time being. Chad offered to wait for Sharpay outside the bathroom, but she refused firmly.

The sun was setting when Ryan and Taylor returned, the latter displaying a golf ball-sized diamond on her finger. A blur of excitement followed; fervent congratulations, squeals of excitement…it was almost enough to make Chad forget that Sharpay wasn't there.

"_You!_" Taylor rushed to Chad's side, seemingly on the run from the gaggle of women behind her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise?" he exclaimed, sweeping her into a hug.

"I hate surprises."

"_Yeah_. But I thought you might make an exception."

Taylor shook her head, while her eyes glittered. "Thank you, Chad."

"Forget _him_." Sharpay appeared at his side, her eyes clear and happy. "Where's my hug?"

Chad stepped away from the girly revelry, trusting that she would be okay. And if she wasn't he would be there. At least for the next few hours…

**Sharpay **

Even after her break-up with Chad and hook-up with Ryan, the Wildcats had never cut Taylor off as a friend. So Troy, Zeke and Jason were thrilled about the engagement and decided that a less child-friendly celebration was in order for the couple (Sharpay was tasked with convincing Ms. Darbus she really _didn't_ want to come along).

Besides Chad and Shar, Kelsi was the only other classmate that followed. A sadness lingered over the evening as they realized this was the last time they would all be together (though many insisted they would be back for the wedding). It ended up working a lot better anyway, as Ryan and Taylor's place was sort of tiny.

Time flew (as it tends to do when much fun is had) and it was Taylor that pointed out the late hour.

"Two o'clock?" Jason croaked. "_Lexi's gonna kill me…" _

"I have an early flight," Zeke added ruefully.

A collective, drunken sigh was heaved and taxis were requested. While Ryan and Taylor yelled their goodbyes out of the doorway, and Troy and Kelsi chattered away in the kitchen, Chad and Sharpay stood ineptly.

"Mum's been calling for the past half-hour," he murmured. "Better head out…"

Sharpay pretended not to hear the last bit. "I haven't seen Jo since I got here. How is she?"

"_Dating_."

"Really? Maybe I'll have another wedding to plan one of these days!"

"You won't."

His gaze darkened for a moment and Sharpay was taken aback by the tone. She turned to her brother, murmuring that it was time for her to go.

"It's too late to leave!" Taylor dismissed. "And we've got a guest room in desperate need of guests."

Sharpay couldn't find much of a reason to argue (considering who she would be going home to) and neither could Chad it seemed. Troy left with Kelsi and then there were four. It only took Chad ten minutes to placate Mrs. Danforth. Sharpay, on the other hand, spent twenty trying to convince her mother not to swing by with an overnight bag ("You can't use your _finger_ as a toothbrush. That is so primitive!")…

An hour later, Sharpay stood and stretched with feline satisfaction. "Well, my beauty sleep is long overdue…"

"Where do you think you're going?"

She turned on Chad. "_To bed preferably_."

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"Well, there seem to be three _very_ comfortable couches here. You're kinda spoiled for choice, aren't you?"

"Oh, just share the damn thing!" Taylor exclaimed, standing up as well. "I'm too tired for bickering…"

"Share a bed with _him_?"

Ryan followed his fiancée. "Hey, it wouldn't be the first time." Sharpay narrowed her eyes at her brother, but all argument was rendered useless when Chad proclaimed that he was using the bed, whether or not she was in it.

He seemed a lot less assured as he closed the door behind them, however.

"Stop looking so virginal, Chad," she sighed, sliding over to the right side of the bed. He rolled his eyes. Sharpay smirked.

"_Just kidding_. I'm sure you've had loads of girls in your bed…" She was barely aware of the tone of bitterness as she snuggled into her pillow.

"Sure I have," he muttered, punching in and fluffing up his pillow. He had never been able to sleep without doing that first. "But don't feel too bad about it, Evans." Chad finally settled down and sighed. "You were the best."

Sharpay rolled onto her side, hoping he had not seen her smile. "I know…"

**A/N: So Ryan's proposal was a bit corny. It was inspired by something I saw on the Style Network (we get **_**a lot**_** of American TV over here). I liked the idea of an actual **_**walk**_** down 'Memory Lane' anyway!**

**Now I've got a bit of bad news. Instead of spending the first two weeks of the holiday at home, as was the plan, I will be leaving for my Gran's place in three days. She only has one TV! And even worse, **_**no**_** access to the Internet. **

**I'll try to post one/two chapters before I go, but after that we might have to wait about three weeks. It's really annoying and I'm **_**really**_** sorry. **

**But I'll be back! And I hope y'all will be, too :- ) **


	14. Chapter 14

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**Author's Note: All right. I'm **_**all about**_** Chadpay right now, but I was a Troypay shipper first! So did you see the Zac/Ashley/Vanessa photo shoot? It is awe-**_**some**_** (cut Vanessa out and it would have been **_**perfect**_**). I sort of hate that I'm so psyched for this movie…**

**Chapter 13: The Morning After**

Chad woke up to the beginnings of a headache and Sharpay lying over his chest. It took him a minute to realize that the gilded hair tickling his cheek and the smooth leg draped over his were _not_ disjointed pieces of a dream. Chad suppressed a grin and reasoned that he had to wake her up sometime. But that time didn't have to be now…

"_Breaking news…Senator Whittaker…witnesses have…Mimi Whittaker_…"

Fragments of a newscast filtered in from the living room and hooked into Chad's attention. Mimi. It had barely been a week since he last saw her. The thought aroused a niggling curiosity over the trial.

Chad shifted carefully, Sharpay stirred. His breathing hitched as he waited for her to wake up and start yelling. Instead she murmured incoherently and wriggled into a more comfortable position. With a reluctant grimace he untangled the rest of their limbs…

He found Taylor in the kitchen, overseeing breakfast. She seemed to be having a tough time, as she only used one hand, while keeping the one sporting her ring aloft. Ryan was slouched on a couch, peering at the TV. Chad stood apart for a moment, watching Mimi strut down the stairs of the courtroom, a reedy guy with a briefcase following. Chad soon recognized him as the attorney that gave an excessively boring lecture to his course group once. She could do better…

"Mornin', lovebirds." Ryan and Taylor turned to him and smiled. "Why didn't you wake me up?" He indicated to the TV.

"I couldn't bring myself to do it," Taylor smirked. "You two looked so darn cozy in there…"

Chad's cheeks heated with rapidity of a gas stove and he stammered inarticulately.

At that moment, the door swung open and Sharpay appeared behind him, smoothing out the creases in her borrowed PJs.

"I smell food. _Gimme_…"

**Sharpay **

Sharpay felt like she had just walked in on something significant. She glanced at Ryan for conformation, but he shook his head. She shrugged it off and strolled past Chad, trying to ignore how oddly cute he looked in his faded Superman pajamas.

"What's for eating, McKessie?" she quizzed as she plopped down at the kitchen table.

"_Carbolicious pancakes_. You got a problem with that?" she added at Sharpay's mild grimace.

"You have a dress to fit into this year," was all she would say. "Consider yourself warned…"

"_Leave her alone, Sharpay_," Ryan called from the living room, his eyes still glued to the TV screen.

Sharpay made a face at her brother's back before her gaze flickered to Chad, who was watching the news with equal interest. It took her all of three seconds to figure out who the top story was.

"Things aren't going well for Miss Le Croix?" she smirked.

"Not with the emergence of this new witness. _Apparently_ she had the pool boy taking care of everything _but_ the pool."

"_Holy crap_…is he cute?"

"Keep in mind that this is an _alleged_ affair," Chad drew up a chair nearby and sat down. "Always room for reasonable doubt."

Sharpay scoffed and poured herself some orange juice. "You're not thinking of going back to her, are you?"

He shrugged and the lack of conviction ticked her off severely. "It paid…"

"And there was me thinking you quit on principle…"

"And when did you get so naïve?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, ready to snap back, but Taylor quickly spoke up:

"No more talk of nasty break-ups."

"_Agreed_," her fiancé chimed in.

Sharpay sighed, feeling a little bitter and withered in the face of the couple's happiness. Silence crept over them and threatened to become painfully awkward until Ryan commented, almost as an afterthought:

"We _did_ call our mothers, didn't we?"

And at that exact moment, the phone rang frantically. Their sheepish grimaces turned into guilty grins, and finally laughter as the call went to voicemail…

**Author's Note: Sparse, I know. But it's okay! Gimme two weeks and I'll be back with some of the biggest, best chappies you could ever hope for.**

**Now I'll be leaving in about eight hours so if your time zone permits it, please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: **_**Two reviews?! **_**After three weeks! That's just cold…**

**Ah, well. Thanks always to ally and avrilstar. Hope you enjoy the new chappie, even if you don't tell me so. **_**Sniff**_**…**

**Chapter 14: Family Matters **

**Chad**

Despite all their best efforts, there was no stopping Mrs. McKessie or Mrs. Evans from coming over. The thought of meeting them again made Chad twitchy and he figured this was a good time to make like a banana and split. There were bags to pack, a flight to catch, a law degree to dust off. Besides, a new family seemed to be taking shape and he had no place in it…

Chad had barely touched his phone before Taylor swiped it.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed.

Chad's eyes widened at the theft of his beloved appendage. "Not that I know of," he muttered, grabbing at it.

"This is your second chance," she said. "You _can't_ walk away from a second chance."

He steeled himself before looking to the curvier Evans, perched out on the balcony.

"'_Course I can't_. What do you think the plane's for?" Chad held out a hand. Taylor rolled her eyes and returned the phone.

"_Stay_. She wants you to."

Chad's thumb froze mid-dial. "She does?"

Just then, the doorbell rang…

**Sharpay **

"You haven't asked her yet!"

"Well, I couldn't exactly suggest wedding planners _before_ the proposal."

Sharpay would have argued his point, but it turned out to be a good one, so she clamped her mouth shut and turned her gaze back to the jagged skyline. A moment later the doorbell rang. Ryan made a face that was half-way to a grimace and Sharpay snorted.

She had been briefed on the necessary safety precautions for Hurricane McKessie, but took it lightly. After twenty-five years with her own mother, Sharpay feared nothing…

The French doors swung open behind them and they turned to see Chad, grinning politely.

"_You first_."

Ryan smiled hard. "_Thanks_…"

He left her side and Chad took his place. Sharpay eyed him surreptitiously as he leaned against the railing.

"Thought you were leaving," she remarked with as much cool as she could muster.

Chad straightened up and turned to her. She wondered if the minimal distance between them was deliberate. "Do you want me to?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. The thinly veiled smugness was all she needed to figure out that Taylor had been talking too much. "_Yes_. I find you incredibly annoying."

For a horrifying moment she thought he would believe her. But a moment later he grinned. "_Sure_…"

And before she could retort, a clamor of excitement erupted behind them…

**Chad **

Chad wondered if Mrs. McKessie had forgotten who he was. The last time he saw her was graduation day, where she glared at him relentlessly and refused to call him anything other than "Him". But Chad got as many hugs and lipsticky kisses as everybody else when she flew into the room.

"How have you _been_, sweetheart? And how's your mother? I hear she has a boyfriend. And he's _thirty-five_? _And_ white. I swear it's like some sort of epidemic…"

She was gone before he could inhale, black and burgundy braids whipping out behind her. Chad smiled with a strange sort of fondness as Mrs. McKessie rounded on her daughter, demanding to know why she had to hear about the engagement from "that boy, Jason's mother, with the unfortunate eyebrows."

"_Sorry, Mum. _All the excitement…"

"_Oh, never mind_." She smiled and there was a flash of Taylor in it. "Show me the damn diamond!"

Chad and Ryan exchanged a glance of consternation as the fellowship of the ring assembled. They were starting to feel stupid just standing around when Mrs. McKessie announced:

"We're going out tonight! The whole family's _dying_ to see you."

"The _whole _family?" Taylor repeated with despair.

Either Mrs. McKessie didn't hear, or she pretended not to, as she began to quiz Ryan on the proposal.

"You coming with?" he was slightly surprised to hear Sharpay ask. He regarded her for a moment, trying not to smile at the attempted disinterest.

"I'm not family. I'd be out of place."

"You could come as a date," she suggested and the veil of indifference slipped for a moment.

Chad tried to lean back on a nearby sofa, appreciating the vulnerability, but his aim was off and he ended up stumbling like an idiot. "As _your_ date?" he said, desperate to cover up the moment of uncool.

Sharpay smirked. "More like my bitch. But whatever."

Even as Chad snorted, a cloud of doubt rolled over the moment. What the hell was he doing? What would he be committing to by agreeing to be her date? Maybe he was just a presumptuous ass and Sharpay was messing with him.

Before he could think reflect any further, the doorbell rang…

**Sharpay**

What the fuck was she doing? Did she just ask him to be her date? No. She asked him to be her bitch. Which was equally appealing but still _very_ wrong.

She just couldn't help but feel out of place herself. Her brother's marriage would subsequently make her a sister-in-law, but Sharpay couldn't imagine herself fitting in at a big family gathering, where everybody knew and loved each other. It just wasn't _done_ in the Evans' camp.

So she sort of needed him there, sort of _wanted_ him there…

The doorbell sounded before Chad answer and she could lie that it was a joke. She turned from him quickly, as Ryan hurried to open the door.

Mrs. Evans glided in a second later, shrieking with delight, and the next ten minutes were made up of hugs, kisses and ring-admiring.

Somewhere along the way Chad left, assuring Mrs. McKessie that he _would_ join them for dinner while trying to catch Sharpay's eye.

"You're taking the children out for dinner?" Mrs. Evans inquired across the dinner table.

Taylor's mum nodded sweetly, sipping her proffered lemonade. "It's a wonderful little Mexican place, Taylor's favorite."

Mrs. Evans smiled stiffly and Sharpay had to suppress a grimace. She knew that smile all too well. "That's…nice."

Mrs. McKessie frowned. "You didn't have other plans, did you?"

Sharpay's mum put on her best apologetic yet decisive face. "Well, yes. My husband and I intended to host a dinner party for the family at our resort. Lava Springs? I'm sure you've heard of it."

Mrs. McKessie smiled so hard it looked painful. "_Of course_. We prefer the Silver Moon, though. Tad more refined."

Mrs. Evans blinked. "_Ah_."

Sharpay glanced across the table at Taylor, who rolled her eyes and glanced at Ryan, who cleared his throat.

"I'm gonna go…_do stuff_," he said and was out the door before they could protest. A weird little silence followed, filled only with the sounds throat-clearing and ice chinking in glasses.

"We could all just go out together," Sharpay suggested, eager to do away with the tension.

They all smiled hard. "Of course."

"Lovely idea."

"Tonight then?"

"_Lovely_."

Mrs. Evans turned to Taylor. "So have you given any thought to the wedding, dear?"

Taylor gave a little shrug and smile. Sharpay's heart plummeted at the thought of asking to be her wedding planner. She had already put herself on the line for that dope…

"I certainly have," Mrs. McKessie piped up. "Kitten, wouldn't you just _love_ to get married in the same church as your father and I?"

Mrs. Evans cleared her throat. "Well…_our_ family isn't really religious. More _spiritual_ you might say."

The other woman blinked. "_Oh_."

The younger women glanced at each other once more and shook their heads slightly, as another silence fell over the room.

**Author's Note: Okay now seriously, dudes! If there are aspects of the story that you dislike/hate, please do tell and save me from this agonizing. I can't fix anything if I don't know what's broken in the first place!**

**Ciao for now… **


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: Hey, dudes! If you're worried that I'll get bored with repetitive reviews, you don't have to be. A review is gold and constructive criticism is silver (no idea why, it just is). But if **_**you**_** get bored, a smiley face will suffice! **

**And that's all I have to say about that…**

**Chapter 15: Keeping Up With The Evans**

**Chad**

Chad spent the greater part of the day on an epic quest for a clean shirt, while Mrs. Danforth trailed him, anxious to know what (meaning _who_) had made him decide to stay 'indefinitely'. He was reluctant to say, fearing that if he admitted it, he would soon have to _do_ something about it.

"_I have no idea…"_

She gave a grand roll of the eyes at this, but hugged him anyway, saying she was glad to have him back, for whatever reason. Chad stood in pensive silence long after she had gone to get ready for movie night with Mark…

He cancelled his flight on impulse, driven by the possibility that Sharpay wanted to give them another shot. But then they had to be practical. Would he follow her to New York? Or would she move to Washington? Could they share an apartment without driving each other crazy? What would become of his Cheerios? She was always trying to convert him to muesli…

Chad shoved both hands up into his curly mane. He had _no idea_ and it was starting to freak him out…

**Sharpay **

Sharpay clung to her patience as rigidly as she did to the phone. She had called Mrs. Montez and- after ten minutes of inescapable catching up- got Gabriella's agent's number (she had failed to keep up with her daughter's constant number-changing). This led Sharpay to Gabriella's agent's assistant, who told her that 'George' was currently unavailable. She offered to contact Gabbie's publicist, Alexi, who was said to have the writer's new number. Ten minutes on and Sharpay was still waiting…

It was one thing to stress over a phone call to a loved-one, she thought, tapping her foot tetchily, it was quite another to be on hold for someone you didn't _really_ want to talk to in the first place.

Sharpay was long since over her spite of Gabriella Montez. But she _had_ retained a certain distaste for the Stepford run-away, with her pretty smile and all-star boyfriend. She was thrilled to learn that 'Troyella' disbanded years back and almost sad that she didn't really want him anymore. Ah, well. It was enough trouble lusting after his friend…

"_I'm sorry_," the honeyed voice returned and distracted her. "I have specific instructions _not_ to disclose contact details to anyone outside of _immediate family_. I know you're an old friend of Ms. Montez but she has _many_ old friends these days."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "_Look_. I'm calling on behalf of _Taylor McKessie_, Gabriella's _best _friend. She's getting married in a few months and would _really_ like it if Gabbie could be there. Now it is _very_ important that I speak to her, so would you _please_ stop passing me around like a _fucking_ water pipe and put me through to her?"

She was yelling before she even realized it and felt a lot better once she was through. For a moment all she heard was a sniff, before:

"Ms. Montez is still in on tour. But I'll leave a message from you, shall I, Ms. Evans?"

Sharpay's head dropped to her dresser with a dull thud. "_Sure_…" she sighed, barely speaking into the phone.

She was just thinking of how disappointed Taylor would be, when the bride-to-be poked her head around the door, which she had left slightly ajar.

"_She can't make it_."

Shar bit her lip. "You weren't supposed to hear…"

"Kind of hard _not_ to. What with the screaming…it's cool, Sharpay," she said before the other could speak. "Thank you for trying. Ryan says hurry." With that she disappeared.

Sharpay groaned and dragged herself up. For the first time she really thought on the dinner ahead. She was fairly sure that it would suck…

**Chad **

It turned out that Chad wasn't the only one who decided to stick around. Nostalgia had bitten Troy hard and with the Red Hawk's season over he figured there was no reason to leave just yet.

"I just kinda missed home, you know?" Chad knew. "My mum wouldn't let me leave regardless…"

He told his friend about the dinner, which was starting to see like some dark, hulking monster, looming outside his door. He really should have said no but Taylor's mother, not unlike Sharpay's, seemed not to have that word stored in her vocabulary.

Troy advised him to have a good time and passed his greetings on to everyone. He had only just hung up when a familiar hoot sounded in the driveway. Chad noted, as he dashed down the stairs, that he would have to rent his own car now that he was staying. Or visiting indefinitely…

He jogged out onto the paved drive, which had shed its usual beige and taken on a pinkish-orange tint in the setting sun. Sharpay was in the backseat of the van, staring out the window. She looked unusually simple in a gray skirt and jacket, white cotton vest hugging her, bits of silver on her wrist.

He hugged Taylor and shook Ryan's hand over the front seat, before settling back. In the limited space, it was hard to ignore the almost tangible electricity that seemed to form when he was near her.

"_Nice vest, garcon_," she smirked, glancing at him.

Chad tugged at the tailored black waistcoat. With a white shirt underneath it _did_ sort of look like a waiter's uniform. It hadn't before, he thought irritably.

"I got bored, okay? Thought I'd try something different…"

Sharpay shook her head, almost laughing as she spoke. "I was _kidding_. You look fine."

"Fine?" he demanded and then huffed. "I was going for _ridiculously _sexy, but whatever…"

She turned to him fully now, her smirk almost a smile, coffee-colored eyes sparkling.

"_Ridiculously sexy_," she conceded, tone almost teasing.

Chad found himself unable to break the stare. He had never been able to when she looked at him like that…

The heat started in his face and spread relentlessly downward. Chad turned away abruptly, shifted in his seat and focused on the back of Ryan's head. That cooled him down fairly quickly.

"So uh…where're we going?"

"_Le Café Miche_," said Taylor.

"It's French."

"_I figured_," he intoned, almost annoyed that she could still unsettle him with a look. That look had led him to do many stupid things in her favor, like picking up her laundry from the dry cleaner's, or letting her watch '_Project Runway_'when the biggest game of the season was on ESPN. He tried to hate her for it, but then she always made it up to him in the end…

"It took them _hours_ to agree on a restaurant," Taylor continued, seeing his grin and assuming it was caused by the clashing mothers. "They're so alike and so different…it's like there isn't enough room for both of them."

"As the prophecy proclaims," Ryan murmured theatrically, "_neither can live while the other survives!_"

All four burst out laughing as the car pulled into the parking lot of Le Café Miche…

**Sharpay**

"_Tie your hair back_."

"Why?"

"This is a classy place!"

"What, my hair isn't classy? You think this level of perfection comes easy?"

"Did I not make it clear that you are my bitch for tonight? Do it now or my mum will make you later."

"You Evans women are so domineering…"

"Would you two stop whispering sweet-nothings and hurry the fuck up already?"

Sharpay pulled back from Chad as he dragged his hair into a ponytail with the proffered rubber band. They quickened their pace to catch up with Ryan and Taylor, who were making their way up the incline hand-in-hand.

Le Café Miche had been sheltered from the rough, mountainous skyline of New Mexico by a backdrop of trees. It was small enough to seem intimate, with its warm lights and large windows.

It didn't seem as crowded as usual when they walked in, and Sharpay spotted her family immediately. She almost smirked as her dad stood up to greet them, recalling how he rushed ahead of everybody else. Years of swimming in the corporate shark tank had taught him that to arrive first was to establish a position of power.

Mr. Evans hugged Ryan and Taylor in turn, offering a big smile and profuse congratulations. Sharpay knew their relationship had come as a relief to him, as he lived in fear for eighteen years of Ryan coming out of the closet with his hat all crooked.

While the couple made their way around the table, greeting the rest of the Evans clan, Sharpay hugged Mr. Evans lightly and introduced him to Chad.

"Chad? Chad!" He shook his hand vigorously and slapped the younger man's shoulder. "Long time no see, son. What're you doing here?"

"He's with me. Well, not _with_ me," she added hastily at her father's cocked eyebrow. Unlike other failed relationships, Mr. Evans always remembered her 'thing' with Chad. "He's just in town…" She glanced at him uncertainly. "For a while."

"Good to see you, Mr. Evans," Chad piped up.

With that the introductions began. As well as her parents, Sharpay's uncle, Emmett and aunt, Gayle had turned up, along with their daughter, Ashley. Her cousin had always had a habit of copying everything she did. But Sharpay not being around for a few years must have forced her to form an identity because her hair was cut short instead of long and wavy, and dyed ginger instead of blonde. She had also (thankfully) gotten rid of her brown contact lenses, so that her green eyes gleamed as she appraised Chad.

Also present was their ridiculously handsome second cousin, Fred, who had just been bailed out of jail after exposing himself in a public library (although that was just something she heard) and Mrs. Evans' best friend, Lynn, who only seemed to get younger as the years passed…

They toasted to the happy couple once seated and the small talk began for all but Sharpay, who was arguing with Chad over his ponytail.

"And when is your family getting here, Taylor?" she just heard Mr. Evans asking.

Taylor opened her mouth, her expression unsure, but before she could utter one syllable a collective cheer erupted behind them.

They all turned to see a group of grinning McKessies at the door, waving to their table.

The bride-to-be gave a smile that was half-way to a grimace and sighed: "_I think that might be them_…"

**Author's Note: Loads more Chadpay action in the next chappie! **_**I'm so excited**_**…**


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: Big chapter for a big family. Enjoy…**

**Chapter 16: Keeping Up With The McKessies**

**Chad**

The last time Chad saw Riley and Bobby was at a cookout, where they vowed to break his legs if he ever hurt their cousin. They were ten-years-old at the time, so there was no blaming him for not taking it seriously.

But now the twins had sprouted from pot plants to oak trees, and Chad could not help but feel threatened as they advanced, whooping and cheering with apparent excitement. His trepidation soon faded, though as they recognized him and dragged him into a hearty hug, before moving on to the Evans family.

Following the brigade was their mother, Phyllis, who had always entertained the idea that Chad had a crush on her. She kissed his cheeks passionately, asked how he was and then strolled away before he could answer. Next to greet him was Mrs. McKessie's other sister, Tess, along with her husband and their…Chad's eyes widened at the girl positioned between them.

"_Keke?_"

She smiled disarmingly and swept some hair over her shoulder. "Hi, Chad."

He could hardly believe that this stylish, starched sort of girl was the irritating brat he and Taylor used to baby-sit. He told her so as they hugged.

"_I'm all grown up now_," she smirked.

"_No shit_," he murmured, only to blush a second later. It still seemed wrong to swear around her.

The clash of the Evans camp and the McKessie camp was sort of hilarious. The one side stood and smiled ineptly as the other side leaped at them, hugging and kissing profusely. It seemed like they were starting to disturb the customers, so they all sat down.

Sharpay was next to Chad at the end of the table, Ryan and Taylor paired on the other side. Keke and the twins were nearby, as were the other Evans kids, Fred and Ashley. The old people filled up the other end but there was no sense of a divide as general chit-chat was shared, along with menus.

"_Je voudrais les Escargots de Bourgogne…_" Sharpay murmured to the maître d'.

Chad tried not to look impressed as he also turned to the tall, balding waiter. "A burger. With _le fromage_ if it's possible."

Sharpay snorted as the man bristled. "_Very sophisticated_."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, _excusez moi_, Evans. Some of us blacked out during twelfth grade French."

Sharpay rolled her eyes and sighed before leaning over to his menu. "Why not try the _Brochette de Poulet_? You like chicken, don't you?"

"It's a Black thing," Bobby quipped, causing Riley to roll his eyes.

Chad conceded and was about to apologize to her for his spitefulness when somebody said:

"So law, huh?"

He blinked in surprise and looked to see Mr. McKessie, vast and bald, grinning down the table at him. As Chad was the last person to order, everyone's focus seemed to have shifted to him at that moment.

"Yes, sir."

"_Excellent, excellent choice_." Chad barely had a chance to thank him before he turned on Ryan. "And what about you, son? It's about time you joined the agency, don't you think? _Real estate_," he added for the benefit of the non-McKessies.

Sharpay's brother blinked, as if a sharp, bright spotlight had been cast on him suddenly.

"Well, uh…" he began. "While I appreciate the offer, sir…as I've said before…I um…_I like my job_."

"And I like watching Sportsline in my boxer shorts, but I'm not gonna try and make to make a career out of it."

Bobby guffawed. Taylor grimaced. "_Dad_."

"I'm just saying!" he protested. "If Ryan's going to support a family…"

"We'll support each other," she asserted.

A brief, terse silence loomed, but Mr. Evans held it off by piping up: "_I agree_." His son barely had time to look grateful before he added: "_Besides_. If Ryan's going to go into business with anybody…it'll be with his old man. Right, son?"

Ryan looked away, clearing his throat. "Well, let's not waste the expensive French stuff!" Sharpay exclaimed as she took hold of a champagne bottle. This inspired a change in conversation and a relief from the awkward silence.

Riley and Bobby began to quiz Chad about his best friend 'Boltin Bolton' and asserted that they wanted to meet the Red Hawks' rising star. Their parents had a basketball court that they could use tomorrow afternoon.

"You can come, too, Barry," Bobby assured Ryan.

Chad cocked an eyebrow. "Barry?"

"_Manilow_," Riley grinned.

Ryan reddened. "It's uh…it's an inside joke. You…wouldn't get it."

He shrugged. "You're both white and blonde."

"_I stand corrected_."

Chad felt a little guilty as the twins' hearty laughter rang across the table…

**Sharpay **

Riley and Bobby seemed to be having some great laughs at Ryan's expense. Sharpay felt moved to interject at one point, but then her brother had developed something akin to pride lately. Helping him would only hurt him more. Unfortunately, Taylor seemed to miss the fact as she attempted to protect him.

She allowed herself to be distracted by Aunt Tess, who seemed to think that Sharpay's focus was on her sons. Granted they _were_ intensely cute, what with the wide, welcoming grins and the muscly arms. But then she was already involved…or maybe 'preoccupied' was a better word…

Sharpay glanced to her left as Aunt Tess informed her that Riley was studying medicine and Bobby was on a coveted baseball scholarship. Chad was having an animated conversation with Keke, who had said nothing to her beyond "Hello".

"I need to go to the bathroom. Sharpay?"

She blinked and turned to Taylor, who was already up, black clutch in hand. For a second she was torn between the desperate look on Taylor's face and the disappointed look on Aunt Tess'. Taylor took precedence, for the mere fact that she was the one getting married…

The bathroom door had barely swung shut before she murmured: "_I want to leave_."

Sharpay frowned in bewilderment. "What?"

"We need to get out of here." When Sharpay gave no sign of immediate co-operation she sighed. "_Look_…I love my family. _So much_. But they talk a lot. Mostly about Ryan." She exhaled. "_They like him_. He's just…" she looked down and began to fidget with her hands, "_not what they expected_. I don't think he feels like part of the family. And I'm scared that…" She looked up with what seemed to be great effort, "he won't want to be."

Sharpay was so taken aback that she burst out laughing. Taylor's eyes widened and for the first time in ever she looked wounded. "I'm sorry, Tay," she giggled, trying to set her face into a mask of sympathy. "But…are you _kidding_ me? Do you know how long Ryan's waited to find someone like you? He _loves_ you and neither of our crazy families will change that!" She reached out and held her hand to stop the fidgeting. "You go start the car…I'll get the guys…"

Just as Sharpay returned to the table, Mr. McKessie exclaimed, half-smiling: "Not religious? What're you gonna tell me next? _You're not Democrats?"_ The half-smile faded fast and was replaced by a grimace as the Evans clan shifted in their seats.

Sharpay took her cue: "Everyone? Taylor's not feeling well and I think we need to take her home."

"She's not pregnant, is she?" Aunt Phyllis inquired.

"Um…_no_. But she _is_ very sorry." A chorus of saddened murmurs and best wishes followed this. "_Ryan, Chad_. Shall we?" Her gaze revealed that it was more of an order.

They were just getting up when Keke demanded: "Chad, what about dessert?"

Sharpay hooked her arm into his. "_Mail it to him_," she replied, not realizing how snippy she sounded.

With all the goodbyes done (apparently they would be seeing Riley and Bobby again tomorrow), the three hurried out.

"She's not really sick, is she?" Ryan seemed to know the answer as he asked.

Sharpay shook her head. "Just tired of those guys."

Her brother barely tried to conceal his relief as he hurried ahead of them.

"You can let go of me now. I won't try to run."

She looked to Chad and realized she was still gripping his arm. Sharpay gave a grand roll of her eyes, as if he was the guilty party, and released him.

"_Tell me_ you're not mad about Keke," he pleaded, snapping the rubber band out of his hair and shaking his curls out.

"I'm not," she huffed.

"She's just a kid, Sharpay."

She stopped in her tracks and glared up at him. "She was a kid eight years ago."

Chad grinned. "You're lookin' a little green there, old lady."

"_Shut up_…" she murmured and resumed her strut towards the car. Sharpay, annoyed at his insight, was about take another jab at him when he came up behind her, wrapped an arm her waist and kissed her cheek. It was sort of chaste and he let her go a moment later, but it still sent a fierce tremor down her spine.

Sharpay was grateful for the darkness of the van as she could smile giddily the whole way home…

**Author's Note: Now we've gotten through quite a few chapters without solid Chadpay action (I do like to take my time with these sort of things). But do not fret. I'm turning the heat up from now on. And I mean **_**way up**_**, heeheehee, hawhawhaw, mwahahahaha! **_**Ahem**_**…**

**Review! **


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: Gha! 'I Want It All' rocks so hard! Sharpay is like this little pink fire cracker that'll singe your eyebrows off if you get too close. Ryan was cute, too, despite the trousers. **_**Urgh. **_**Those trousers… **

**Anywho. We are about to delve into a bit of sexy business! Time to make use of this 'T' rating, I say. **

**Chapter 17: Don't Dream It's Over **

**Chad**

He tried to grip her hair, but it slipped through his fingers like sand, her breath was warm against his skin, but he couldn't have felt it less if he were made of stone. The nagging awareness that this was not real tugged at him and he felt a sudden, stifling swell of loneliness.

Chad pressed his lips against Sharpay's neck and his murmur was almost inaudible:

"_I miss you_."

He knew she was smiling before he looked up. "_No duh, Chad_…"

He was barely aware of his own hands drifting down as she arched her back and echoed:

"_Chad_…_Chad_…Chad?"

Her tone turned distinctly masculine and Chad's eyes snapped open to see Mark peering over him. He jerked up so abruptly that their foreheads collided and he fell back, gold stars blurring his vision.

"Was I interrupting something?" Mark seemed to try on a grin as he rubbed his head and it took all the willpower Chad possessed (not to mention a shameful fear of his mother) to keep from socking the guy.

"_Yes_," he muttered, sitting up.

"_Sorry_…I heard your alarm clock blaring down the hallway. It didn't seem to wake you up so I figured I should."

"Well, try not to be so considerate next time…" he grumbled. Mark nodded and made a swift exit, obviously eager to get away.

Chad felt like a bit of a villain as he dropped back again. But then he glanced at his old study desk, currently bare, and forgot all about it…

**Sharpay**

Today was going to be a big day, Sharpay resolved when she woke up. This was the day she would pop the question to Taylor. The _other_ question. The other question being: Will you let me plan your wedding?

There was no way to quell the feeling of excitement. Sharpay already had a color scheme in mind and the desired caterers, florists and tailors on speed dial. But she needed to get hired first.

Sharpay turned up at the couple's humble abode in her trendy pink and black tracksuit, inviting Taylor to an early morning jog. The other woman did not take kindly to this, insisting she needed a specific amount of sleep to get through the day.

"Well, running is the perfect way to kick your brain into gear. And we have _got_ to offload the junk in your trunk. Just a little!" she added at Taylor's defiant glare.

She finally conceded and trudged away to get ready.

The experience did not bring them any closer together, as Sharpay had hoped. In fact, it literally distanced them as Taylor barely tried to keep up with the blonde's brisk pace around the park.

"_Come on, McKessie_," she called, leading the way up a grassy hill. "Don't go quitting on me!"

"I'm _not_ quitting, you fucking Nazi!"

After an hour of running (or maybe fast walking) they gave up and collapsed on the grass, Taylor unable to lift her water bottle. It was decided that something low-impact would be more beneficial, like yogalates. Taylor admitted to not knowing or caring what that was. Sharpay eagerly explained. Taylor asked her to shut up and buy her a bagel…

They returned to the park a few minutes later, bagels in hand. Taylor's was smothered in cream cheese which had been done to spite Sharpay no doubt.

"So Aunt Tess is _set_ on me visiting her today after I ditched dinner. With Chad and Ryan going I don't really have an excuse _not_ to." She gave a sympathetic nod. "You should come along, too." She cocked an incredulous eyebrow. "Seriously, Sharpay. Keke will be there and I doubt she's interested in the girly bonding."

"What _is_ she interested in?"

"Do you have to ask?"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes and tore a chunk off the baked good. "_Right_…"

**Chad**

Troy had discovered that while living with his parents was inexpensive, it was also costing him his social life.

"My Dad's fine but my Mum won't get off my case. There's always something! _Do you have clean underwear, Troy?_ _How long will you be out for, Troy? Who was that girl you snuck into your room, Troy?_"

"Who was she?" Chad grinned.

"_That's irrelevant_. I need a day off, man…"

An hour later both boys were pried from Mrs. Bolton's vice-like grip of motherliness, with the help of Coach Bolton, and went on their way.

Troy and Chad sat in the driveway for a good ten minutes before getting out. Aunt Tess' place seemed massive and the inside was much the same; big cushy sofas, big family portraits, an especially big TV, and of course, Riley and Bobby.

They leaped at Troy as soon as they saw him, patting him on the back and ruffling his hair, quizzing him about his teammates, his paycheck, his groupies. For a moment Chad understood what it meant to not exist. But then the excitement died down soon after and they all retreated to the 'attic' (it was really one of three living rooms) to play video games and stuff their faces with chips.

Ryan arrived soon after with Taylor and (much to Chad's horror) Sharpay. Before his dream he had been able to fend off all intimate memories of them together. Now he could barely look at her, fearing that he would stop thinking with his head and act inappropriately.

She wore a pink leather skirt that day (it was short enough to double as a belt), a white blouse and black boots with…buckles? Chad was awed at how she consistently managed to outdo herself in hot craziness…

They all traveled downstairs again, the girls to the kitchen and the guys to the basketball court.

"I gotta head back to campus after this," Riley informed them, tossing the basketball at Troy.

"_Lame_," Bobby derided.

"Studying to save lives _isn't_ lame, Sporty Spice."

His brother looked ready to retort but Chad interjected: "Time is few, guys. Let's play."

Bobby aligned himself with Troy, Riley with Chad and Ryan was glaringly alone.

"You can have Barry," Bobby resolved, before adding: "He ain't much of an advantage…" Riley responded with a slap to the head, Ryan reddened and Troy cocked an eyebrow.

"Who's Barry?"

Chad battled the urge to laugh with all his might…

**Sharpay**

Sharpay was so busy chowing down on the corn chips Aunt Tess had offered ("Hey, I'm not the bride!") that she almost missed the conversation going on across the kitchen island.

"Honey, you _know_ I love that boy of yours," Aunt Tess insisted, sweeping aside the fringe of her sleek black bob, "but I have to ask…why _the hell_ did you let Chad go?" Sharpay's eyes widened as the woman continued. "He's smart, funny, successful, got those lips and that hair and the _eyes_ and…"

"_Easy, Aunty!_" Taylor exclaimed. "I _didn't_ let him go. _She_ took him." The two women turned to Sharpay with what seemed to be the patented McKessie Eye, critical but good-natured.

Sharpay could only mumble uneasily through a mouthful of chips.

"Chad was never for me," Taylor continued, smiling now. "Sharpay's the one you should be grilling."

Aunt Tess immediately rounded on Sharpay, shapely eyebrow raised, and demanded: "Well, why the hell did _you_ let him go?"

She reddened and tried to swallow, but then the sound of high heels echoed towards them. Her heart sunk to the vicinity of her stomach as a regal voice drawled:

"_Anybody home_?"

"We're in here, Phyllis," Aunt Tess huffed, clearly aggravated by the interruption.

Sure enough, Phyllis Johnson appeared in the archway. Her daughter was close behind, holding a small white box.

"_Chocolate for Chad_," Keke explained when she caught Sharpay glaring. "I would've mailed it, only I don't trust those idiots at the post office. Thanks for the suggestion, though," she added, smiling sweetly.

Sharpay, Eternal Queen of the Fake Smile, mirrored it, while imagining all the ways she could kick this girl's ass…

**Author's Note: As you will have figured out, I am a shitty poet. I apologize for the flowery language at the beginning of the chapter, but it seemed empty without it! **

**So did I mention that I am **_**so**_** looking forward to HSM 3? Almost as much as I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chappie :- ) **


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: This week on 'HSM Watch'! I just saw 'A Night To Remember' and I feel distinctly…**_**underwhelmed**_**. I swear, Ashley Tisdale is a saving grace for this movie. And what is **_**up**_** with Corbin's dodgy goatee? I mean…dude! **

**Ah well. You don't want to hear my nonsensical raving. On with the fiction!**

**Chapter 18: Keep It In The Family **

**Chad**

It was all fun and games until the females showed up. Before then Chad was just trying to give Ryan as many opportunities to score as possible, while pissing his teammates off as little as possible. But then he heard the familiar, indomitable click-clack of Sharpay's heels and suddenly he felt a lot more competitive. It didn't help that Taylor and Keke were close behind…

"_Hi, Chad,_" the latter called. He grinned in response but quickly wilted at the look on the older girls' faces.

"Hey," he muttered. "What's in the box?"

"_Sweets for the sweet_."

"_Tell me_ I'm the sweet!" Keke nodded, her glossy ponytail trembling as she did so.

"_Hey_," Sharpay piped up, hand on her hip, "why don't you go _stick that_ somewhere safe?"

"Yeah, get lost, Keke," Bobby demanded. "Go finish your algebra homework."

"_Fuck off_," she dismissed, but she said nothing more as she turned on her bright red heel and marched away.

Chad wondered who she had been talking to but stopped caring as soon as his fingers grazed the basketball…

**Sharpay **

Aunt Tess and Phyllis seemed to be keeping the demon child busy, for which Sharpay was grateful. She and Taylor sat on the wooden deck, shimmering drinks in hand, rolling their eyes at the game that seemed to have intensified since they go there. Her brother was making a valiant effort to keep up with his teammates but it looked like he was crumbling under the pressure of them being there.

The only point of the game that held Sharpay's attention was when shirts started flying off. _Chad's_ shirt in particular. A relentless pang of longing worked its way through her at the familiar sight of damp muscle, rippling and bulging with every exertion. Sharpay wondered what the hell she was waiting for…

"So then I said, 'hey, dickhead, you can take that watermelon and _shove it_!'"

Sharpay blinked and looked away. "_What?_"

Taylor raised her eyes to the sky and laughed. "I was trying to get your attention. But I'm _obviously_ not as interesting as Dark and Handsome over there."

Sharpay willed the blush away and set her face into an expression of intense sobriety. "I was watching the _game_, thank you very much."

"_Riiiiiiight!_"

Sharpay raised her glass to her lips in a poor attempt to hide a grin…

**Chad**

"Hey, your teammate's startin' to look like a liability, Chad."

Chad gritted his teeth into a grimace/grin at Bobby's mockery. The guy was starting to annoy him. Probably because he was right. Ryan was as hopeless as a fish on the bottom of a boat and it hurt to pass him the ball. Chad suppressed all competitive urges and did it anyway…

"Shut up and play, Bobby," Riley chided.

"I _am_ playing. Talking smack is an integral part of any game," he added wisely.

"Well, maybe if you talked _less_ your teammate wouldn't be doing all the work."

All smiles faded in surprise at Ryan's jibe.

"Well, look who's talking," Bobby smirked, bouncing the ball slowly, crouching slightly. "Have you scored a _single point_ since you got here, Barry? Maybe you should go sit with your girlfriends-"

What happened next went by so fast, they almost missed it. Ryan lunged forward, swiped the basketball, leaped about three feet in the air and shot. It arched ominously for a moment before making a decisive landing through the net.

Ryan turned on the heel of his sneaker and broke the stunned silence: "Ryan. Not Barry- _Ryan_."

Sharpay leaped out of her chair with a sudden, triumphant yelp and applauded vigorously. Despite a slight sting of envy, Chad found it in himself to be impressed…

**Sharpay**

"That was a fluke!"

"_Ah, the distinctive taste of sour grapes_…"

The girls laughed as Riley and Bobby exchanged disgruntled punches and went inside. Troy and Ryan followed, with Taylor in tow. Sharpay stayed seated and Chad soon joined, by unspoken invitation. She scrutinized her nails with as much indifference as possible while he flapped out his t-shirt, emphasizing his current shirtlessness. She took a deep breath.

"_Nice game_."

"_Like you noticed_."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I saw you checkin' me out," he grinned, seeming as satisfied a tomcat with a bowl of cream before it. "_Pervert_."

"_I don't know what you're talking about_."

"Stop blushing then."

She blushed harder. "I'm _not_-"

"Chad!" Both turned to see Keke poking her head through the doorway. "_Cake_…" she reminded him, a sharp edge underlining her tone.

"_Coming_…"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes after her. "She's starting to piss me off."

"Why, you wanted cake, too?"

Riley was gone by the time they returned, Troy, Bobby and Ryan had retreated upstairs to continue their gaming tournament, the Aunts were gossiping in one of the many living rooms, and Chad was sent off to shower. Sharpay stared after him for a while, an impish look adorning her face, but then Keke's voice hooked into her attention:

"You're not staying for dinner, are you?"

"_Kee_…" Taylor murmured, her gaze darting up momentarily from the bridal magazine Aunt Tess had given her.

"I'm just asking," she shrugged. "It's not like she's family."

"She's Ryan's sister," Taylor asserted. "Which makes her _my_ sister." Sharpay felt a warm, fuzzy sort of glow build up inside her. "And as of now she is _also_ my wedding planner." The glow flared up into a bonfire of joy.

"_I am_?"

"_She is_?"

She looked uncertain. "I mean…_if you don't mind_. I was gonna ask earlier but…"

"No! No, it's fine. It's _great_. Of course, I will."

Taylor beamed. "See? We're all family now. _Get used to it_."

She invited the pair of them to look through the glossy mag with her. Keke declined, opting to glare at them silently instead from where she sat at the kitchen island…

**Author's Note: Gha! Just realized I made a bit of a mess of the McKessie family tree. In chapter 16 Aunt Tess is Keke's mother and the twins belong Aunt Phyllis. That was a boo-boo on my part. It should be the other way around. Sorry about that…**

**Coming up…another awkward dinner, a big Chadpay moment (finally) and wedding planning! **


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: This week on 'HSM Watch!' When I read the lyrics for songs like 'Now Or Never' I honestly wonder how much effort goes into this music. They literally repeat the same phrases over and **_**over**_** again, with the occasional 'Come on!' or 'Oh yeah!'. **_**Sheesh**_**. If weren't for the combined prettiness of the cast…**

**Chapter 19: The Pleasure Principle **

**Chad**

Chad's mind had always wandered in the shower. He would close his eyes as beads of hot water drilled the lethargy into him and think of basketball highlights, of ogling jurors, of grilled cheese sandwiches, of Sharpay there with him…

His eyes snapped open. Damn it! No! No Sharpay. He tried to push aside all sluttish thoughts in that instant, but his body had already responded. Chad's distressed groan was drowned out by the sharp rattle of cold water…

"Lookin' a little edgy there, Danforth!"

Bobby, Troy and Ryan thumped down the stairs as Chad slipped out of the guest room, tugging down his polo shirt.

"That's his hungry face," Troy snorted and Chad fidgeted. He wasn't wrong…

Aunt Tess and Phyllis, Taylor, Sharpay and Keke had gathered around the long glass table by the time they strolled in. There was an empty seat next to Keke and an empty seat next to Sharpay. Chad figured he would be safer with the one he _hadn't_ been fantasizing about a half hour ago…

"_Tay, honey_," Aunt Tess endeared. "Could you say grace for us?"

She nodded agreeably and they bowed their heads. Against his better judgment, Chad looked up halfway through the prayer. With her hair falling around her face, her lips pursed and her hands clasped on the back of the chair, Sharpay seemed oddly calm.

Chad was sure she had felt his eyes on her because a moment later she looked up too.

He shut his eyes tightly and focused on _not_ looking at her, even after the "Amen"…

**Sharpay **

Sharpay was trying to play it cool and failing miserably. She hated him. Him and his mixed signals. One minute he was staring at her like a man starved, the next he was ignoring her and hamming it up with some pesky pubescent across the table.

Taylor was trying to tell her something, but Sharpay was too busy glaring at Keke to hear. The girl had taken to playing with everything on Chad; the curls on his head, the sleeve of his shirt, the string of beads around his neck. Even more sickening, her eyelashes were fluttering a mile a minute. And she kept _giggling_. It was a light, silly, coquettish sound and Sharpay knew it well. She'd used it on Troy. Thankfully it had no effect…

"Everyone? _Helloooooo_…" Taylor was tapping her wine glass with a knife, trying to break through the assorted chatter and laughter. "Me and Sharpay have an announcement to make," she said once they had gone quiet.

"You're getting married?" Keke volunteered.

Her cousin fixed her with a stern look before addressing the rest of the table. "Sharpay is going to plan our wedding."

A smattering of applause followed this. "_Talk about a dream team_," Aunt Tess chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll do a _marvelous_ job," Aunt Phyllis chimed.

"I want a _huge_ cake," Bobby asserted.

After the general approval and congratulations from the table, various conversations were picked up again. Sharpay vowed not look across for the rest of the night. She stayed true to it for about five seconds, before looking back again. She was horrified to see Keke with a cherry between her thumb and index finger, trying to coax Chad into taking it.

Sharpay stood abruptly, her chair scraping roughly across the floor, which got her the required attention.

"_Kee_," she hissed. "Could you help me with something in the kitchen?"

"_What_ thing?"

"With _the thing_," she said through gritted teeth. "_Please_."

"Keke, go and help Sharpay," Aunt Phyllis commanded.

Her daughter rolled her eyes, dropped the cherry back into her bowl and followed Sharpay out.

Once they were in the kitchen, Shar folded her arms and leaned back against the sink. Keke settled a hand on her hip and tapped her foot.

She sighed. "_Listen_…" she began carefully. "I have _tried_ to be tolerant…but you're making a fool out of yourself. Chad is _not_ interested. So I advise you to forget whatever you learned from your Cosmo magazines and _leave him alone_."

"And if I don't?"

Sharpay chuckled, with as much menace as she could muster. "_Believe me, honey_. You don't want to know…"

**Chad **

Chad was thrilled when Keke got called away. Having her hit on him while her mother sat nearby had to be the most bizarre and uncomfortable experience of his life. Because despite the killer red heels and the glossy pout, he still saw her as a kid. Now how could he tell her that without causing a temper tantrum?

Chad didn't know what went down in the kitchen, but Keke had cooled considerably once she returned. He glanced across the table at Sharpay, a near smile lightening his eyes, and winked. He was a little surprised, hurt even, when she turned away, her expression blank.

When Taylor and Sharpay volunteered to do the dishes, he followed (Keke was taken home by her mother, Troy was beckoned by his, and Ryan was dragged back to the gaming tournament by Bobby).

"Need any help?"

"Nah, we're good," Taylor said as she rinsed a dish.

"You sure? You look kinda tired…"

Taylor glanced back, understanding sparked in her eyes and she sighed. "You know, I _am_ a little. Maybe I'll go upstairs, make sure Bobby isn't pummeling Ryan to death with his X-Box…" She wiped her hands on a towel and hurried to the door, giving him what may have been a warning look as she went.

Sharpay continued to wash dishes. Chad stood ineptly for a minute before shuffling forward…

**Sharpay **

For a moment she panicked at the totally _un_sexy rubber gloves on her hands and the apron around her waist. But then she wondered why the hell she should care what he thought and indignant rage flooded her.

He was leaning against the sink, an air of easy charm about him. Everything seemed so _easy_ for him, like none of this was a struggle. It wasn't fair.

"_Alone at last_," he quipped when Sharpay made no effort at conversation.

"_Stop_." It was quiet and terse and very unlike her. Even when they were together it was a tone rarely used. "Stop trying to be cute, stop jerking me around-"

"I'm not-"

"Please tell me where we're going."

He looked incredibly lost for a moment. "I don't know."

She groaned, painfully aware that her hands were still plunged in dishwater. This was _not_ how she had expected it to go. "Me neither. And it's kind of scary."

Chad bit his lip before sidling over a little. His arm brushed hers as he stared down at her. "Maybe-"

But just then, Bobby burst into the kitchen, cackling about his triumph over Ryan in one of his many pointless games. Her brother followed, an irked Taylor close behind…

An hour later, Sharpay roamed the dimly lit Evans kitchen. She had put on her comfiest PJs and was currently searching for some equally comforting ice cream, having been unable to eat dessert at Aunt Tess's.

She had just extracted a carton of mint chocolate chip when the doorbell rang. Sharpay stood stunned for a moment, uncertain. It rang again and she set spoon and carton down before scurrying to the door, tugging her nightgown around her.

She peered through the pane of stained glass set in the door and her heart stalled at the outline; a distinct mop of wild, curly hair. Sharpay's hands trembled so fiercely she struggled to unlock the door for a moment.

"Chad, what're you-?"

He kissed her once, slowly, carefully, and the familiar shiver stayed with her long after he pulled away. Sharpay could barely hear what he was saying as the world swirled around her, the only thing worth focusing on being his lips…

"I don't know what we are and I don't know where we're going and I'm scared, too. But still I want you. And I can't think about anything else right now."

"_Okay_," she murmured. "Are you done talking now?"

He nodded, she nodded, and then pounced. Sharpay practically dragged Chad over the threshold, eager to make up for lost years…

**Author's Note: So no frills, no histrionics. Just lovely, unmitigated lust. **_**Oh, the joy**_**…**

**R&R, bitches! 'Bitches' is my new term of endearment, reserved for people I well and truly love! **


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: **_**Squee!**_** I just watched a 'Flight 29 Down' re-run and it reminded me just how cute Corbin can be. Thus inspired, I ditched my homework and decided update sooner! **_**Yes**_**. I have my priorities in order… **

**Chapter 20: Blast From The Past **

**Chad**

"Chad."

"_Wha?_"

"Get up."

"_Nuh-uh_."

"Get up or I'll make you!"

With a pillow pressed down over his head, Chad's smirk went unseen.

"_Like to see you try_…"

The smirk faded fast when a pair of soft little hands pressed into his side and shoved him off the bed. He hit the floor with a dull thud and groaned. Sharpay peered over the edge, her brown eyes glittering with suppressed giggles.

"_You have to go_. Taylor will be here soon…"

Chad put on the most endearing pout he could muster and sat up. "_No cuddle?_"

"No."

"_I feel used_."

"The feeling's mutual."

He stared up at her for a while, suddenly at a loss for anything clever to say. Chad had always loved her like this, hair tousled, designer threads shed, Sharpay undone…

"_So let's get this straight_. Once the wedding is done…so are we. We go our separate ways, right?"

Chad was barely aware of his own murmured "_Right_," as he reached up to drag her off the bed. With a shriek of protest she tumbled down into a mass of crinkled sheets and bare limbs…

Chad wanted to stay. Between the first kiss and this one, it was like the world had stopped. It stopped spinning and roaring and clawing at him and he wondered how he had survived eight years of _not_ kissing her. Maybe if he just stayed this time…

"_Sharpay, honey?_ Are you okay?"

She couldn't have rolled off him faster if he had transformed into a cactus.

"I'm _fine, mother_!" she croaked.

"You sure?" Both scrambled to their feet as the door inched open. "It's almost twelve o'clock!" Sharpay waved her arms frantically towards her closet and Chad darted away without a second thought.

He shut the door just as Mrs. Evans' ridiculously high heel stepped over the threshold…

"Sweetheart, you look so _frazzled_," he heard through the door.

"Yeah…_rough night_."

Chad bit down on his fist to keep from laughing and tried to lean back against the wall. He missed it by about five feet and suddenly remembered that Sharpay's closet was almost as big as his old room.

While Sharpay tried to talk her mother out of the room, he stared around at the surrounding costumes, all in a hundred different shades of pink. After a minute Chad's eyes caught something red and narrowed slightly in the dim light. He knew what it was as soon as his fingertips touched the familiar material…

"Well, I'm getting breakfast ready. Are you coming down soon?"

"_Sure_. Just lemme get ready, okay?"

After a few seconds he heard the door click shut and Sharpay's relieved groan. Chad emerged, basketball jacket in hand. Her eyes flickered from his, to the jacket, to her nails.

"You kept this?" he inquired, trying to sound indifferent.

She shrugged. "Was I supposed to burn it?" He shrugged as a smile struggled to surface. She rolled her eyes. "I don't care about your stupid jacket. You can have it back if you want…"

"_Nah!_ It looked better on you."

As soon as he had put it back Sharpay tossed his jeans at him and ordered him out the window…

**Sharpay **

Sharpay thumped down the stairs, rolling her eyes and slapping her palm to her forehead until she realized it seriously hurt.

She should have burned the damn thing, instead of keeping it like an infatuated adolescent. But then burning the Wildcats coat could only be justified if they had actually broken up. There was no clear date in their history for the split. Maybe it never really happened…

"Fruit salad? Eggs Benedict? Caviar on toast?" Mrs. Evans rattled off as she moved about the kitchen in her Betty Boop apron.

"Cereal?" Sharpay suggested. Her mother cocked a shapely eyebrow. "_Eggs benedict_…"

She perched on a stool by the marble counter top and watched Mrs. Evans's valiant attempt at breakfast.

"When are we meeting up with Ryan and Taylor?" she trilled.

"We?" Sharpay didn't like the sound of it. "_We_ as in…"

"As in you, me, Taylor and Rita!"

Her eyes widened in unrestrained horror. The planning process was supposed to be fun, frivolous, _stress free_. With their mothers present, it could be a disaster. "B-but…Mrs. McKessie isn't coming."

"Oh, _of course_ she is!" her mother replied with a hint of scorn. "She is a _very_ pushy woman…close your mouth, sweetheart, you look like a dead fish."

Sharpay promptly closed her mouth, only to open it again. "But it's _her_ daughter's wedding."

"_And_ my son's, planned by _my_ daughter. I have as much of a right to be there as anyone!" Sharpay grimaced. Mrs. Evans exhaled hard, then she smiled. "_Now_. Would you like some fruit juice?"

And with that, Sharpay knew the battle was lost…

Mrs. McKessie _was_ at the coffee shop when they arrived. Ryan and Taylor sat submissively on the other side of the table. Sharpay had only asked them to meet her here so they could escape any parental guidance.

"_All right_," she sighed, pulling out her black and pink 'Evans's Heavenly Weddings' organizer. "This whole thing is going to seem pretty terrifying," she began, her usual speech stemming from the heart because they were family. "That's because it is. We have a lot to get through before Fall. But all we really need is patience, trust," she glanced at their parents, "_cooperation_…and we'll be fine! _So_. Let's talk costs. How much are we looking to spend?"

"Well, of course, your father will pay for everything," Mrs. Evans declared.

"_And_ yours, Taylor," Mrs. McKessie added.

"Uh…that's okay," Ryan piped up. "_Mums_. We really wanted to take care of it ours-"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Ducky! What kind of wedding could you have on your salaries? Let _us_ take care of it. _Please_."

He glanced at Taylor, who glanced at Sharpay, who was struggling to rein in her impatience.

"_We'll come back to this_. Venue?"

Lava Springs came up and then St. Alice's Catholic Church. For the next half hour they talked of nothing else.

**Author's Note: **_**Sheesh**_**. Easy this shall not be…**


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note:

**Author's Note: So has anybody watched it yet? Was it good? Y'all know what I'm talking about! I need answers! And, of course, reviews ;-) **

**Chapter 21: The Opposite of Sex**

**Chad**

Judging from the five missed calls on his phone, Chad was going to be in a lot of trouble when he got home. It probably would have been more considerate to call, or at least send a measly text message asking if she was cool with him staying over at Aunt Tess's. But when Chad set his mind to something he was usually incapable of considering anything else. Especially his _Mum_…

The door swung open before he could even knock and Mrs. Danforth pounced without delay:

"What _in the hell_ is wrong with you? You run off with your friends and don't come back until the next day?! What? You're _too cool_ to make a phone call?" Her dark curls quivered as she waved and ranted. "I was worried _sick_! You could've been dead in a ditch for all I knew!"

Chad clenched his fists as he struggled not to laugh. Where was this malevolent 'ditch' parents were always going on about? He might have asked, but this didn't seem like a good time for irreverence. Instead, he waited for her anger to thin and when it did he pulled her into a hug.

"_Sorry, Mum_. It'll never happen again. Promise."

Mrs. Danforth sniffed a little before accepting his apology, but was unwilling to let him go scot-free. Chad was sentenced to an hour of family bonding at dinner, which was being burned by Mark at the moment.

He bit back every snide remark that came to mind and listened to the TV in the next room, while the couple exchanged flirtatious banter across the table.

"_The divorce proceedings of Senator Whittaker and plaintiff, Mimi Whittaker have been suspended…_"

Chad stood abruptly, cutting off their wordplay.

"May I-?"

"You may _not_."

He glared at his plate and sat down.

"_Attorney, Morton Trask had this to say about_…"

"You must be glad you abandoned that ship, huh?" Mark piped up in the awkward silence.

"_It wouldn't be sinking if I was still on it_," he murmured, mindlessly salting his food. Chad had to admit, if only to himself, that he sort of missed the case. He may not have approved of Mimi's actions, but she still deserved a fair trial, a fair fight. That was the whole point of law, wasn't it? That was what he got into it for. _That_ and his basketball scholarship fell through, after which Ms. Darbus suggested he make use of his natural "chattiness"…

The doorbell rang. Both Chad and Mark stood. Mrs. Danforth cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm _not_ going to watch the news," he insisted.

"Never thought I'd be happy to hear you say that," she murmured. Mark laughed. Chad rolled his eyes and rushed off. He took a quick detour on the way, but the story had already come and gone.

As soon as Chad opened the door, all thoughts of Mimi were put on the backburner.

"This is a bad time for a booty call," he pointed out, leaning against the doorframe.

Sharpay rolled her eyes and settled a hand on her hip. "_I'm not here for that_."

"You're not?"

"_No_," she smirked, seeming satisfied by the look of complete dissatisfaction on his face. "We're going to the bakery tomorrow and Ryan wants you to come with. He has some big important question to ask you." She glanced over his shoulder as he nodded in agreement. "Is your mum here?"

Chad's grin slipped and he stalled at the thought of the two meeting. He knew how it would play out. They would hug and laugh and chat and she would stay for dinner. She would sit in the empty chair across from him and he would be unable to deny how effortlessly she still fit into his life. Then they would both be screwed. And not in the good way either…

For a panicked, ridiculous moment Chad considered lying, but then a shriek erupted behind him and Mrs. Danforth rushed past him, into Sharpay's arms. Mark appeared soon after. More hugs and introductions, more laughter and scolding. An invitation to dinner.

"Um…" Sharpay glanced at Chad, her smile fading. "_No_. I'm sorry. I really have to go. But I'll be back tomorrow. Bye, Jo, Mark. _You_." She sent a playful glower his way and was gone.

It was only after Chad closed the door that he realized he had been holding his breath…

**Sharpay **

The next day, all four young ones journeyed to 'Early Desserts', a bakery owned by one Alfredo Darling. Sharpay spent what felt like a lifetime on the phone with his assistant, trying to negotiate an appointment.

Mrs. Evans and Mrs. McKessie had, of course, wanted to come along, but she distracted them with a guest list (which Taylor would later edit as she saw fit), asking them to invite fifty friends and family members each.

"_Your mother is a real die hard sometimes_," Ryan murmured as he scrutinized a map.

"Mine?" Taylor scoffed. "_Yours_ tried to force her wedding dress on me."

"She _what?_" Sharpay demanded from the backseat, taking off her professional mask for a minute. "That was supposed to be _my_ dress."

"You hate that dress," Ryan pointed out.

"Of course, I do! It looks like a cast-off from _Dallas_. But it's _mine_."

"She said something about there being no hope for you," Taylor murmured, leaning over to get a look at the map.

"_No hope?!_"

"People!" Chad interrupted. "Can we focus on the big picture here? _Cake…_"

Sharpay was so busy mulling over the possibility of dying as a withered old spinster with yellow hair extensions that she hardly noticed him speaking, or the car slowing to a halt…

There was a distinct _Alice In Wonderland_ vibe about the place, with its multi-hued walls and baked treats of every conceivable size and shape. It all looked sweet and smelled sweet and to top it off, a sweet little woman with a bright blonde bob grinned at them from behind a receptionist's desk.

"_Afternoon, ladies and gents_," she chirped. "You have an appointment with Mister Darling?"

"Yes," Sharpay began. "We're here to sample wedding cakes."

The receptionist looked down, rifled through a few papers and nodded. "Evans and McKessie?"

"And Danforth," Chad added over her shoulder. "_I'm helping_."

The receptionist smiled wider and stood, asking them to follow her to the kitchen. It was roomy and airy with big yellow flowers on the wall and a massive counter. On said counter sat several little cakes, and next to the display stood a round little man with a neat burgundy beard.

"_Goooood afternoon_," he sang. "You wouldn't happen to be the happy couple, would you?"

Sharpay battled a blush and glanced at Chad. "_No_. I'm the wedding planner. And sister. _He's_ a tag-along."

"_Ah_." Alfredo promptly turned his attention to the other pair. "You must be Ryan and Taylor then! _Congratulations_…"

He went on to detail his creations, all festooned in burnt orange, brown, yellow, or red.

"Now here we have pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, spice cake with blackberry filling _and_ cream cheese frosting, almond lemon cake with lemon frosting (_my personal favorite_), oh and red sugar maple leaves are always lovely for the season. Then there's the buttercream…" He smiled at them across the counter. "Would you like to sampl-?"

"_Yes!_" Ryan and Chad chorused.

After much heated debate (Sharpay had to remind Chad several times that his personal preference was irrelevant) they decided on the lemon.

"And what're we looking at cost wise?"

Alfredo's tone was so casual he almost managed to disguise how obscene the price was. Sharpay turned to the pair, wanting to know who exactly was funding the event. Ryan shrugged.

"We have savings. We can afford it. And we only get to do this once, right?" Taylor wavered slightly in the silence that followed. "Besides…your Dad will never let me live it down." She seemed to harden at the words but nodded anyway. Sharpay suppressed a groan. Their parents weren't even around and they _still_ managed to stir up trouble…

"Hey, Sharpay," Taylor tapped her shoulder as she calculated the effect this would have on their budget. "Can we talk…_outside_…for a minute?"

"Sure!" she said, hoping and praying that she wasn't about to offload some bad news.

"_Sharpay_…" the other woman began once they were out the door. "I haven't ever really had a best friend since Gabbie."

She shrugged. "I haven't ever really had a best friend since…does Ryan count?"

A brief smile lit her features. She shook her head and carried on: "I wanted her to be here. We've been a little distant the past year or so…but I wanted her here." Sharpay started to apologize for the hundredth time but Taylor shook her head. "My point is…_I don't have a Maid of Honor_. And I was wondering if _you_ would…do me the honor? Please don't think your Plan B or whatever," she added at Sharpay's stunned stare. "You've been a _great_ friend, whether you know it or not…and I know you're already busy. I'll understand if you can't-"

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Sharpay exclaimed, leaping at her suddenly. "I've _never_ been a Maid of Honor before. That's…it would be…_shit_, what's another word for 'honor'?"

They returned to the kitchen all smiles and Chad immediately exclaimed:

"Guess who's gonna be a groomsman?"

Sharpay smirked. "Maid. Of. _Honor_."

He glowered as they laughed. "Thanks for ruining my moment, Taylor. _Thanks a lot_…"

**Author's Note: I've noticed that 'FN' (it seems like you can't write out the name of the site without it getting censored- **_**fucking dictators**_**) has finally organized the archive so that we can select specific pairings, instead of having to wade through piles of 'Troyella'. As cool as this is, it has led me to discover that we only have- **_**gasp**_**- two pages of 'Chadpay'! That is **_**criminal**_**…**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: Wow. I almost forgot that this fic has to end some time. Some time soon! But onto 'HSM Watch' (spoiler alert)…do Chad and Sharpay both end up at U of A?! That is just too perfect for words! I would **_**definitely**_** watch 'High School Musical: College' if it featured these two…**

**Chapter 22: Ladies and Tramps **

**Chad**

"Ow!"

"What?"

"_Your knee is in my groin_…"

"Sorry! There's no room in here…"

"_Back seat_."

"Ew, that is so _sordid_. And I don't want my dress to get wrinkled."

"Are you serious?"

"_What_? I'm meeting The Mums in a hour. And _you're_ meeting Troy and Ryan and…"

Chad was starting to feel less and less sexy as the seconds slipped by. Since Sharpay stopped by his house a few days back, they had been struggling to make this thing work. Even the hasty passion of a roadside rendez-vous, which he would usually delight in, was turning out to be a bit of a dud…

"You're not mad, are you?" Sharpay inquired, clambering off his lap.

He watched her fiddle with the hem of her dress and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. No. He was anything but mad…

"Because I don't like Mad Chad! He's an asshole…"

"I'm not mad! We're just having an off day…"

She shrugged and raked a hand through her hair. "Well, we've got an hour to waste. What do we do?"

Chad took a moment to think. He was in gratification mode at the moment and since the one urge had been put on the backburner, he figured they might as well tend to another.

"Wanna get something to eat?"

**Sharpay **

"You're five minutes late!"

"_Sorry, sorry_…I got you food!"

"_Real_ food?"

Sharpay flashed an especially sweet smile as she handed Taylor the neatly packaged croissant. She bought it as an afterthought when she was with Chad, figuring she would need a good excuse. But was it good enough?

"_It has chocolate on it_…"

All at once Taylor's cloudy countenance brightened. "_You are forgiven_. Come on. The Mums are waiting…"

The boutique smelt vaguely of taffeta and mint tea. A lady draped in lilac (probably to match the color scheme, which Sharpay thought was quite cute) advanced on them as soon as they entered, wearing a big smile and what seemed to be magnifying glasses over her eyes.

"Now who _exactly_ is our blushing bride?" said Ginny Harlow, for that was what she went by.

Sharpay rolled her eyes at the wistful glance Mrs. Evans sent her way. Mrs. McKessie wrapped an arm around Taylor's shoulder and squeezed.

"Ah! _Taylor_, is it not?"

"It…is?"

"Huzzah!" Ginny clapped and commanded them to follow her into the dressing room. It was all mirrors and soft carpeting and lavender futons. Five minutes and four cups of mint tea later, Ginny's assistant rolled in an array of gasp-worthy white gowns. Taylor leaped to her feet and Sharpay smiled at the sight. It was the first time she seemed genuinely excited.

She disappeared behind a curtain with the first dress and emerged frowning. Sharpay could see why. As pretty as this particular creation looked on the rack, it had a distinct Disney princess feel about it on Taylor.

"Which is _not_ what we're going for," she reminded Sharpay, who nodded sympathetically. Her few years of experience in this business taught her that it was all about patience.

"Oh, what're you _talking_ about, Kitten?" Mrs. McKessie exclaimed. "You'll look _delightful_ in that, with a pair of white gloves and a nice long veil…"

"No veil!" said Taylor. "I'm not a virgin, remember?"

"Kitten!"

"I already told you!"

"Well, do you have to tell _everybody _else?"

Her daughter snorted and shook her head. Sharpay raised an eyebrow at her own mother.

"And what're _you_ looking so smug for?"

Mrs. Evans reddened and hid her face behind a tea cup…

**Chad**

"I don't see what all the excitement is about. It's just a party…"

Chad's eyes widened at the good twin, trying to gauge whether or not he was serious. He turned back to look at Troy, who had been staring out the window.

"Do you hear this madness?!"

Troy shook his head grimly and Chad uttered a quite noise of disbelief.

"Evans, this is not just any old _party_. This is a send-off, a final countdown, a night where revelry obscures reality!"

"I'm not gonna do anything that'll end my marriage before it's started."

Chad rolled his eyes. "_Of course, not_." Taylor was his friend as well as Ryan's girlfriend and he had too much respect for her (along with a healthy dose of fear) to talk her fiancé into anything salacious.

No. All the mischievous business would be left to the groomsmen. Chad found himself wondering how Sharpay would react when he told her about it. Not that he _had to_ or anything)…

The formalwear shop was airy and orderly, with tuxedos of every color and design lining the walls. A thin, dark-haired girl approached soon after they strolled in and greeted them in low, certain tones.

"You two are the singletons then?" she said, when Ryan had introduced himself as the groom.

"_It's a curse_," Troy quipped. Chad eyed a particularly snazzy suit in the corner.

"_Maybe a Princess Charming will come lift it some day_…"

His mind had wandered at that point but it came back just in time to realize that they were all smiling. Chad joined in, wondering what the joke had been as Karen (for that was her name) led them to the fitting room. She left with their measurements and returned a few minutes later, presenting a collection of suits that all looked the same at first glance, until they took time to notice the details…

"Um…Chad?" Troy muttered once she was gone. "Are you feeling okay?"

Chad frowned as he handed Ryan a tie. "_Yeah_. Why?"

"Because Karen's batting her eyelashes in your direction and you look totally oblivious."

He _was_ totally oblivious. "So what? You think I'm some kind of whore? You think I'll just jump on the first girl that's willing?"

Troy rubbed his chin. "Well, after two decades of getting to know you…_I'd have to say yes_."

Chad was about to retort when Ryan piped up: "Hey! Could we _please_ take a minute to acknowledge how hot I look right now?"

They snorted abruptly and shook their heads as all thoughts of Karen faded…

**Sharpay**

After two hours of heated debate and much drinking of mint tea, she finally found her dress. It had inspired tears for the Mums and a deep sense of contentment for Sharpay. Mrs. McKessie and Evans were chattering away to Ginny when Taylor picked up Sharpay's jacket for her.

"Since when do you wear cologne?"

Sharpay, who had been rifling through her purse, looked up. She had no time to restrain her surprise at the fact that Taylor had picked up on it. It wasn't particularly pungent…

"That's uh…" she scrambled to recover. "That's just this new perfume I'm trying out."

"Really?" She cocked an eyebrow. "'Cause it kinda smells like something Ryan would use."

Sharpay hastened to retrieve the coat, suppressing a grimace at the very _un_sexy association with her brother.

"_Why_ are we talking about perfume?" she exclaimed. "We've got _so much more_ to do. There's the bridal shower and the rehearsal dinner and wedding invitations…" Sharpay took hold of her hand and tried not to feel bad about the uncertainty in her eyes.

She didn't _enjoy_ going behind her back (it drew up a lot of awkward high school memories), but her thing with Chad didn't seem worth the effort of explaining. Taylor would disapprove and then insist that they were basically back together or still in love or something equally ludicrous. In a few months it would just be another memory…

Sharpay suddenly felt a lot worse than before.

**Author's Note: I'm at this weird stage in my life where I can't stop thinking about **_**Seth Green**_**. It's getting to be quite unhealthy. And that was my random musing for the day… **


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: "**_**This is the last chance to make our mark, history will know who we are! This is the last game so make it count, it's now or never!!**_**"**

**Gha! ****I hated this song before I heard it. Now it comes to me at the most random times and I can't help but sing. I'll stop now.**

**Chapter 23: A Night To Remember**

**Chad **

Chad suffered from intense bouts of déjà vu over the next few months. Being part of the Evans-McKessie event was like planning their Prom all over again. There were the same histrionics over themes and dresses, the same squabbles over music and catering, not to mention the ever-present mums and the copious amounts of tears. But then this time there was also cake and legal drinking and nude women. So who was he to complain?

"How psyched are we?" Troy demanded as they clambered into his car.

"_So psyched_," Chad squealed, exchanging the routine secret handshake with him. "I think this warrants a happy dance…"

They happy-danced all the way to Ryan's place and continued to do so until he hopped into the backseat, their fellow groomsmen, Fred and Wilson (a geography teacher and friend from East High) following. They cheered heartily as they made their way to 'The Kitty Club' (it was more burlesque than striptease, because Chad preferred his nudity with some class) and handed Ryan a fuzzy black top hat, emblazoned with the word **LIFER** in hot pink.

"Thanks, guys," he murmured, trying it on. "This is…pretty."

"We just wanted to make you feel special," Troy grinned.

"How are our lady friends?" Chad asked, curious about the one lady in particular.

"They're all excited," said Ryan. "Like worryingly excited. Sharpay insists she's taking one of the strippers home." Chad turned around with more haste than he realized. Ryan carried on heedlessly. "I swear, if she talks Taylor into-"

"She wouldn't do that, would she?"

He shrugged. "Probably not. But there _was_ that Lava Springs lifeguard when she was sixteen…"

Chad was almost leaning over the seat now as he glared at Ryan. "_What_ lifeguard? Not that I care…" he added. "But seriously. What lifeguard?"

"All right, enough about those girls!" Fred piped up. "Let's talk about the naked ones…"

Sadly, all Chad he could think about from that point was male strippers. Oily, sinewy blocks of muscle, shaking their money-makers in front of a horde of women, in front of _his_ woman. Okay, so they weren't committed or anything, but he did _not_ like the thought of her hooking up with some second-rate Chippendale.

Chad began to toy with his phone…

**Sharpay **

Sharpay had been yearning for this night. Not so much the entertainment as the chance to unwind. The past few months had consisted of one fabulous fiasco after another. Battling bridesmaids and temperamental mothers, botched floral arrangements and misprinted invitations. But she couldn't say she hadn't enjoyed it. She was with her friends and her family for the first time in a long time. And Chad helped her a lot, when he wasn't obsessing over cake…

"Somebody _really_ wants to talk to you right now," Taylor declared, strolling in with her phone, which was buzzing to soothing sounds of Amy Wino (in her heyday).

Sharpay took it with a wry smirk, which slipped a little as soon as she noted the name.

"Who is it?"

She looked up, smirking as convincingly as she could while Chad's call buzzed incessantly. "Just another vendor."

"What do they want?" she exclaimed. "Tell them to fuck off until tomorrow!" She nodded compliantly, waiting for Taylor to leave. She didn't. "In fact, _I'll_ tell them." Sharpay leaped back, clasping the phone to her chest.

"No! It's fine. I'll just turn it off! See? _Turning it off_…" She smiled and held it up, mentally kicking herself. It had to have been important. Men did not normally call their girlfr- their female companions before going out on stag nights.

But it was already done and Taylor was strolling away, insisting that her hair looked fine and reminding her that they were all waiting downstairs.

Sharpay hesitated for a moment before turning the phone back on, just in time to receive a message from him. She grinned at the stalkerish behavior before reading it:

_Be a good girl tonight, Evans. NO hanky-panky!_

_Chadwick_

Sharpay snorted. She would have as much hanky-panky as she wanted to. She _didn't_ want to, but _he_ didn't have to know it…

"_Sharpay!_" Taylor called from downstairs. "Would you just give up on trying to look prettier than me and get down here?"

She snorted, switched off the phone and rushed out of her room, to find Keke, Taylor and a few of her friends from work, waiting in the foyer.

"What d'you mean, _trying_?" she demanded of Taylor as they strolled out the door…

**Chad **

This was not right. Not right at all. It wasn't the fact that _Troy_ was getting all the attention that bugged Chad. No. It was the fact that _Ryan_, the guy this night was supposed to be about, was being ignored. At some point, the girls of the Kitty Club had found out that Troy was sort of a "big deal" in the world of basketball and from then on all their can-canning and feather-flapping was directed at him.

The rest of them (save Ryan, who was nodding and tapping his hand on the table musically) slouched over their drinks and tried to enjoy the show as best as they could.

"This is so ridiculously unprofessional," Chad griped.

Ryan shrugged, his eyes glittering at the sultry spectacle. "This is fun! I don't mind being outshone. I've had Sharpay all my life, remember?"

Oh, how Chad wished he hadn't said that! He could almost hear the impassioned hollering now, the shredding of clothes, the faint chords of 'Macho Man'…

Chad was officially over this. "Hey, don't you wanna crash the girls' party?" he suggested, his whole being buzzing with liquid courage.

"Not particularly!"

"You sure? Things must be getting _pretty_ heated over there. And you know how Sharpay can be. Not to mention Taylor, when she's under the influence. _Of Sharpay_…"

The sparkle in Ryan's eyes faded fast. "You know, this _is_ getting a little tepid…"

Chad nodded emphatically, the little devil on his shoulder nodding along…

**Sharpay**

"Ladies, I regret to inform you that there will _storm clouds_ rolling over Ms. McKessie's wedding day," Sharpay grinned as the others pouted and groaned sympathetically. "Yes, ladies. The humidity is rising, the barometer is getting low, and according to all sources, the street's the place to go…" She was interrupted by a random shriek of delight and could barely keep from giggling as she continued. "'Cause tonight, for the first time, at just about half-past ten, for the first time in history…_it's gonna start raining men!_"

She hopped off the glitzy stage as the lights flared up and the music blared and several brawny weathermen appeared. Taylor buried her face buried in her lap, her shoulders bobbing with laughter, while everyone else leaped to their feet.

The next hour consisted of much hysterics and pelvic thrusts. Sharpay was just getting acquainted with one forecaster in particular, when a voice boomed above the chaos:

"Release her, you fiend!" Sharpay and Taylor froze at the sight of Ryan and Chad, towering over them and clearly drunk.

"_What the f-?_" she was barely done with her incredulous exclamation before the two, noticeably less beefy, men leaped at the strippers and a different kind of chaos ensued…

"What were you _doing_ there?" Sharpay screeched at Chad an hour later as they all made their way up to Ryan and Tay's apartment. With the two parties decidedly over they had all decided to go home. Keke in particular had an SAT to get ready for…

"Rescuing you from the clutches of all that artificial meat!"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him back. "We didn't _need_ rescuing."

"Maybe not Taylor, but _you_-"

"Nothing was going to happen!"

"That's not what you said before!" She shook her head, eyes narrowed uncomprehendingly, before it hit her. "Oh…_that_? You thought I was serious?!" She threw her arms in the air at the dumb expression on his face. She had only said that to throw Taylor off their trail, which was becoming easier to follow as time went on. "I wasn't! Why would I hook up with some random stripper when we're-?" She halted abruptly, turning to the three slowing to a halt behind them, their expressions blatantly expectant.

"You're sleeping together, aren't you?" Was the first thing Taylor could utter. Five jaws dropped. "Oh. My. _God_. You're sleeping with Chad? _You're sleeping with Chad_. And you didn't tell me? You didn't tell me!" She emitted an angry cry and shook her head, pushing past them before they could say anything.

"You talk too much," Chad murmured, earning another slap to the arm before they all followed after Taylor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Troy exclaimed.

"And me?" Ryan demanded.

"I didn't think you'd want to know!" she groaned.

"I didn't!"

A cacophony of arguing followed as they marched into the living room, but it came to an abrupt end when they found a grinning Gabriella Montez standing before them, holding a bottle of champagne and the hand of a lanky, apparently Asian fellow with horn-rimmed glasses.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked after a lengthy silence.

Sharpay honestly wasn't sure.

**Author's Note: "Trooooooy!" Ngahahahaha! Most random moment of any musical number **_**ever**_**. How I love it. Thoughts on Golden Gabbie's return? Feel free to leave them in a review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: Guess who's done with her exams as well as high school? ME! It's bittersweet because I'll never have to see the place again, or wear the uniform, or sit behind the desk, or tape my eyelids open so as to keep from dozing off in the middle of class. But then I don't know what the future holds, which is just terrifying. **

**I know what's going to happen with Chad and Sharpay, though, which is good! I want to finish this before Christmas so I'll try to update faster than usual. **

**Hope you enjoy…**

**Chapter 24: Spot The Difference **

**Chad **

Even during their chummy embrace, Chad struggled to believe that this was the same Gabriella. The same Gabriella Montez who had once avoided alcohol as Superman would kryptonite. The same Gabriella Montez whose long, black tresses had always been sculpted to perfection. The same Gabriella Montez who had considered tattoos a form of self-mutilation.

The same Gabriella Montez who had only ever held Troy Bolton's hand.

In his buzzed state, Chad became convinced that this was an imposter. Firstly, she was drinking as if she'd been doing it for years. Second, her hair, while still dark, had been cropped to her ears. Fourth…wait, no. _Third_ there was a tattoo creeping out from the sleeve of her frilly blue blouse. And the most damning piece of evidence: her fingers were interlocked with those of some long-limbed Hawaiian dude wearing horn-rimmed glasses and an orange tie.

Chad glanced around, noting that everyone seemed to be playing along. He would have said something, but this new development had put all other conflicts on the backburner, which meant he and Sharpay had a temporary reprieve from Taylor's injured glare. He nursed his glass in silence…

"I'm so sorry that I missed your party!"

"You didn't miss much, trust me. How was the tour?"

"Sort of crazy…and tiring, what with the sticky, shrieking kids and the pushy, pen-wielding mums. But it was fun, too. And it's always easier when you have a sane adult by your side."

Said sane adult was George, her publicist and wedding date. Somewhere along the way there had been a silent agreement to pretend that this was as far as it went.

"Enough about me! How's been the wedding planning?"

The discussion took a distinctly feminine turn from that point on, which left the guys with no choice but to conjure up their own chitchat. Neither of the Wildcats was in a particularly talkative mood just then, so Ryan began to force the conversation forward.

"And you've been Gabbie's publicist for how long?"

George adjusted his oversized glasses. "Um…a year now?"

"Ah." Ryan nodded. Chad nodded.

"Well, I'm beat!"

They all looked at Troy, mildly perturbed by his sudden, cheery outburst. Chad went with it, because he wasn't so keen on sticking around either. They honestly would have liked to take Ryan with them, only this was his house and these were his guests, so he could only gaze after them as they said their goodbyes.

An awkward hug-fest began (probably to give the appearance of normalcy for their new arrivals) and Chad chanced a fleeting kiss on Sharpay's cheek, which earned him a reproachful glare.

"I'm not sorry!" he exclaimed, stumbling into the passenger's seat and allowing Troy to buckle his seatbelt. "Me and Sharpay are adults, okay?"

"Well, you have to _act_ like an adult to be treated like one," Troy murmured, slamming the door behind him.

Chad tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his friend to circumnavigate the car and get in, before demanding:

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You don't have to sneak around," he said, starting the car. "Just admit that you're…"

"That we're fuck-buddies? _Right_. You guys would be _totally_ cool and non-judgmental about that!"

Troy simply rolled his eyes at this and sunk into silence. His face went all cloudy and Chad suddenly recalled that they were leaving his ex and her publicist behind.

"Does it bug you?" A question seemed less jarring than a blunt statement.

"Wouldn't it bug _you_ if Sharpay had turned up with some guy?"

"Hell yeah, it would! And I'd kick his ass back to wherever the hell he came fro-" His sensitivity flared up again and he remembered that this was not about him. "So you're jealous? You want her back? I can help."

"Yes…no…and no thanks." There was a lengthy pause before he continued. "When we broke up I was distant enough to pretend that she'd never change. She'd always be the girl in the yearbook that loved me. But now she's got a tattoo and a _George_ and she swears-"

"Gabriella _swore_?!" Chad shrieked. "What the fuck!" Troy grimaced. Chad promptly shut up.

"I don't know if we fit anymore…"

He nodded sympathetically. "It's okay, man. It happens. Sometimes the spark just dies."

"And sometimes it doesn't."

"_Sometimes it doesn't_," he echoed and pretended not to notice the pointed look he was getting…

**Sharpay**

"Well, I know how the one couple is. What's going on with you two? Sharpay? Shar_pay_? Shar…"

"Huh?" She blinked and looked away from the door through which Chad had made his exit. Gabriella and Taylor were watching her, the former curiously, the latter critically.

"Oh…um…we're-"

"Not together anymore."

For the first time since high school, Sharpay fixed Taylor with an earnest glare. She had no right to dictate what they were. She was acting less like a friend and more like a disappointed parent, or a jealous ex…

"Aw, why? What happened?"

"Same thing that happened with you and Troy. Sometimes people just…drift."

"Well, hopefully you'll find something new. Something better even."

They followed Gabriella's gaze, which had wandered over to George. Sharpay liked George. He was a little older than them and nowhere near as pretty as Troy, but he _was_ sort of adorkable, with his unkempt hair and lop-sided grin. He only spoke when spoken to and on those rare occasions he seemed sweet.

"You are _so_ not what I expected, Montez…" she murmured.

"What did you expect?" Gabbie laughed.

"I don't know…a scientist?"

"Well, the books are about a scientist. A little girl genius named Angel, who travels the world with her friends, the Einsteinettes (yes, I got it from Ryan), making scientific discoveries and whatnot. There're loads of underlying feminist ideals, of course…"

Sharpay already knew this. She had tried to convince her brother to take Gabbie to court over the title a few years back, but he went all noble on her and refused. In hindsight, she was glad. The last thing they needed was more bad blood.

"Once again, enough about me! What happened to Julliard?"

"I didn't get in. He did."

"And he came back here?"

"He followed me."

"It must be love!"

Gabbie went on to gush about how much she was looking forward to the day and to seeing their hard work, and that she would be cheering from the pews.

"The pews? You better be up there with me, girl!"

Gabriella was so touched she seemed to melt, while Sharpay felt herself stiffen. Now that Taylor was mad at her (and maybe she was a little mad at Taylor), would she revoke her title as Made of Honor? Her actions had not been particularly honorable and Gabbie _was_ Taylor's best friend. All of a sudden, the glow of excitement she had felt over the wedding died down and she realized that it was not the title she was afraid of losing, but Taylor's friendship.

So by the time she got home and started to prep for her beauty sleep, Sharpay already had a break-up speech in mind. It didn't have to be hard, she reasoned as she eyed her reflection in the bathroom mirror. There was nothing to end really, just a wild, empty fling that was destined to fade away some time soon…

Sharpay touched her cheek lightly and remembered Chad's furtive little kiss. It didn't have to be hard. But she knew it would be.

**Author's Note: Sorry that this was a little shorter. All we really needed to know about Gabs is in there. **

**And if anyone hasn't found it already, there is an awesome 'Chadpay Goes To College' type fic by StarVitamin (I think)! It's way better than anything that I've ever written and it is definitely worth checking out…**

**Reviews please?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Gha! I'm going away tomorrow! Ridiculously fast updating starts NOW…**

**Chapter 26: Back To The Future**

**Chad**

"Let me in."

"_No_."

"Let me in or I will bust this door down."

"_Right_."

"You think I won't?"

Even though his mother's voice was slightly muffled, it was impossible to miss the dangerous edge to it. Chad groaned, rolled off his bed and shuffled towards the door. When he opened it Mrs. Danforth seemed ready to make good on her promise; fists balled, leg in the air.

"I _have_ always wanted to bust a door down," she sighed, dropping her fighting stance.

Chad shook his head mutely and shuffled back. She closed the door and followed, her bracelets jingle-jangling as she flopped down next to him.

The McKessie camp e-mailed every guest that had arrived, or had yet to arrive, apologizing for the abrupt abandonment of the wedding. Whatever hope Chad had held died as soon as he read it and he locked himself in his room, weighed down by something like loss. He had lost her. He had her and he lost her and he missed her. He missed them.

"I don't like secrets, Moppy." Chad blinked, suddenly remembering that his Mum was still there. "You should be able to tell me _anything_." He turned to her, a grimace tugging down the corners of his mouth. She sighed. "_But_…I realize that as you get older, there are _some_ things you need to keep to yourself. So I'm not going to ask what happened with you and Sharpay, and I'm not going to try and convince you to be with her. I'll just give you this."

She extracted a crinkled piece of paper from her skirt pocket and handed it to him. Chad's expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief as he unfurled what turned out to be a crayon sketch of a house. The grass beneath it was orange, and the sky above it purple. Chad stared at it as it were some long-lost work of Van Gogh.

"Where did you get this?"

"Where you left it."

In a shoebox on the shelf of his closet, along with a few other bits of memorabilia from their relationship.

"Before you make any rash decisions, remember what you had. What you _could_ have."

Chad's bleak gaze met her smiling one. "She doesn't love me."

"You sure about that?"

His ringtone blared before he could answer and they both turned their attention to the phone on his bedside table. Mrs. Danforth winked and sidled off the bed. Chad snatched it up as soon as she was out the door, flipped it open and pressed it to his ear.

"_Hey_."

"_Hey, babe_. Remember me?"

**Sharpay **

There was something eerie about how little Ryan's room had changed these past five years. His assortment of hats were still on display, his Broadway posters still plastered on the walls, his CDs still stacked neatly…

Yet Ryan himself seemed out of place, lost even.

"Dinner will be ready soon, Ducky," Mrs. Evans trilled from where she stood in the doorway with Sharpay. "And maybe afterwards we could all watch a movie, _The Sound of Music_ would be nice…"

"Maybe not."

Sharpay grimaced and touched Mrs. Evans' arm. She was being annoying, yes, but she was also trying to make up for what happened. Sadly 'The Sound of Music' would not go a long way in fixing what had been broken, namely Ryan's heart.

"Have you tried talking to her?" Sharpay inquired, once she had coaxed her into leaving them alone for a while.

"_No_," he muttered, dropping down on his bed. "And I'm not going to until she apologizes for what she did, what she said."

Sharpay frowned at this obstinacy, more often seen in her than in her brother.

"She was right, though."

"And so was I! But I wasn't about to call off our wedding. I don't know what got into her. She's always been so level-headed."

"_Heat of the moment, Ryan_. Even smart girls get caught up in it. The Mums certainly didn't help."

"They never do…"

Sharpay bit her bottom lip pensively. It was true. For all their good intentions, their mothers were getting in the way of a possible reconciliation. And they needed a reconciliation. Besides the fact that Ryan and Taylor were in love and all that, Sharpay was _not_ about to call up their vendors and apologize for having wasted their time. She could save this wedding. All she had to do was get them to meet on neutral territory…

As soon as dinner was over she rushed upstairs to call Chad. He was the only person close enough to Taylor to be of use. At least that was what she told herself as she bit her thumbnail anxiously.

"Hey." Sharpay frowned a little. He sounded odd, awkward even, which was understandable considering their dirty laundry had been flung to the wind for everyone, including _Ms. Darbus_ of all people, to see.

"_Hey_," she breathed. "I've got a plan to get Ryan and Taylor back together."

"That's nice."

"And you're going to help me."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"I just…"

"You just _what_, Danforth?" she snapped, her patience waning fast. "You don't care?"

"Of course, I do!"

"Then help. I need you." She fidgeted as she waited for him to reply. When he did, he sounded even weirder than before.

"Mimi called and offered to give me my job back. She probably needs me more."

Sharpay stood stunned for a moment, before flopping down onto the bed behind her. She inhaled sharply and muttered:

"You said yes."

"I'd be an idiot not to. I mean, if I could resurrect this thing, if I could win it for her…that would be huge."

"_I'm sure_," she managed. "Good for you."

"Great."

A heavy silence passed between them before: "So you can't help."

"I can. I will. What d'you want me to do?"

**Chad**

He was unsure as to how he would be received by Taylor and co., but he figured all their anger would be directed towards the Evans' right now. He was right, as Mrs. McKessie swept him into a hug on sight and ordered him upstairs.

"She's locked herself up and refused to eat anything. It's getting to be quite worrying. Could you try?"

"Sure, Mrs. McKessie. But I'd like to go over something with you first, if you don't mind…"

Ten minutes later, Chad jogged up to the landing and headed right, towards Taylor's old room. It was sort of surreal being here again, with no other objective but to reunite her with another guy. He knocked twice, quietly and firmly.

"Tay? It's me. I come in peace." No response. "_Taylor_," he persisted. "You have to come out sometime. If not to talk then to eat. I _know_ your hungry. That stash of Mars Bars will only take you so far…" Nothing. "_Please_, Tay. Let me take you away from this madness. We'll go get lunch at one of those outdoor cafés you like. Drink shitty coffee and bitch about the economy?" Chad was sort of surprised that didn't work. He tried a different tactic. "Fine. You give me no choice. I'm gonna break this door down!"

Chad suppressed a sigh of relief as the latch clicked on other side of the door. It opened ever so slightly and he peered through the crack, at the vaguely smirking girl.

"What? You think I wouldn't?" She shook her head. "_You know me too well_…"

Taylor snorted, but it was halfhearted. "I'll be right out," she mumbled and closed the door.

Chad grinned, having successfully executed his part of the plan.

**Sharpay **

"I'm not really hungry."

"Since when? Come on, Ry! Don't you want to get away from the house? And _Mum_?"

That seemed to be good enough for him, as he agreed to change out of his rather stale PJs, freshen up and journey to _Allo Allo_, a modest little café beyond the more commercial restaurants and take-out joints that operated in Albuquerque.

They arrived around noon and seated themselves near a small, bubbling fountain. _Tres charmant et romantique_, she had been assured. Perfect for a reunion.

"Sharpay, what did you do?"

She grinned and followed Ryan's gaze to the archway, through Chad and Taylor had emerged.

"_Only what I had to_."

Taylor stopped in her tracks once she spotted them but Chad urged her forward. Ryan made to get up but Sharpay gripped his shoulder and dragged him back down.

"_You set us up_," Taylor muttered, glaring at the chair Chad had just pulled up for her.

"I know!" Sharpay gushed. "How cute is this?"

Both glared at her now. She cleared her throat and gave Chad a pointed look, whereupon he produced a single sheet of paper.

"I had my legal team draw this up," Shar continued. "Would you like to read it?"

Chad slid it over the table to them before they could reply. Ryan and Taylor glanced at each other before the latter began to read.

_We, the parents of Ryan Nicodemus Evans and Taylor Juliet McKessie, promise to value the thoughts and feelings of our children, regarding their careers, relationships, and wedding décor. We recognize their need for independence, as difficult as it is to not be able to protect them from all the dangers of this world. We promise never to interfere in their lives or in the lives of their own children, unless said interference is requested. We hope that they will remember how much we love them. _

"Signed…" Ryan finished off. "_Mothers Evans and McKessie_."

"Well," Sharpay began. "Now that _that's_ out of the way, let us discuss you two. You are in love, is that correct?" They glanced at each other and nodded. "You are happy together?" The looks were lingering as they nodded again. "So do you _really_ want to throw away your happiness, as well your _fabulous_ wedding, over some meaningless squabble?" They shook their heads, barely aware of her now. "I thought not. We'll leave you to it then."

They stood and made a hasty exit, happy that at least one couple had made it.

**Author's Note: Okay! One more chapter, then the epilogue and we are done. Yay! **


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: Gha! I am so sorry for not finishing this on time! It turns out my frakking ancient computer can't handle all the changes to the site. I need something more modern in order to update, thus I've hijacked my dad's laptop for the time being…**

**I hope you really have enjoyed this and weren't just pretending because I am so pathetic. Thank you either way!**

**Chapter 28: The Trouble With Love Is**

**Chad**

All this wedding business was making Chad think about stupid things. Stupid, irrelevant things, like the first time he laid eyes on Sharpay _sans_ make-up and the first time he admitted to feeling like Troy's sidekick (she astonished him by not laughing in his face). The last time he told her he loved her.

It made him hurt in places he never knew existed and thoughts of the oh-so awesome future did nothing to help. Maybe the problem was that, in his heart of hearts, Chad had never believed Sharpay would fall out of love with him. Because he could never fall out of love with her. Which meant he was seriously, seriously screwed…

"_Hey, Chadwick_," Casey called, dislodging the cork from the champagne bottle with a loud _pop_. "Quit looking like a lost sheep and get over here!" He obliged and joined the gathering around Ryan, whose face had yet to lose its dopey, dazed smile.

"_A toast_," the Best Man began, "To Ryan and his old ball and chain. There could never be a happier prisoner…"

Snorts and murmurs meshed with the clinking of flutes. Chad looked up from the depths of his glass to find Ryan staring at him, his gaze quizzical and concerned. He looked away and downed the contents, desperate to drown out all Sharpay-induced anxiety…

**Sharpay **

As a rule, Sharpay avoided emotional investment in her weddings. It was easier to keep a cool head, and to keep everyone else afloat, when she only pretended to care.

Alas, this was not her usual New York spectacle. This was Albuquerque and her brother getting married and her nemesis of old becoming her sister and herself as Maid of Honor. Or not. And then Chad. That numbskull Chad who was leaving for DC, for Mimi LeCroix, the next day.

And everything in her wanted to lash out, to kick and scream like she was six…all right, sixteen again. But then he would know that he could still hurt her and maybe get a glimpse of how desperately, pitifully in love with him she still was. And that would suck…

"Finally!" Gabriella gave her a quick squeeze as soon as she appeared. "Taylor won't come out of the bathroom until you see her." Sharpay plastered a can-do smile on her face and handed over the bridesmaids' dresses, before slipping into the bathroom.

The bride was balanced on the edge of the bathtub, light pouring over her from a window across the room. The beading of her cream gown glittered, while the skirt hugged her and fanned out towards the end. Her hair was piled atop her head, loose strands curling around her face.

"How do I look?" she uttered. "And _don't_ bullshit me. You're the only one I trust not to do that."

Sharpay's frozen grin thawed as she sighed: "_Fabulous_."

Taylor beamed. "_Thank you._ Thank you for keeping me sane and for keeping me and Ryan together and for being such a great planner and friend…and Maid of Honor," she added with a wink.

Sharpay blushed stupidly and shook her head. "All in a day's work, McKessie. Now let's get this show on the road…"

**Chad**

Chad was finding it hard to detach from the past when half of East High seemed to have turned up for the wedding, all pressing him to stay 'a few days longer'. As happy as he was to see them again, it was a relief when the ceremony got started and they were shown to their seats…

Half an hour later Chad was ready to test his ability to sleep standing up, when the bridal car appeared at the gates and the orchestra struck up their tune.

Anticipation seemed to ripple over the place as the car doors swung open and the Maid of Honor emerged, bridesmaids streaming out after her.

Chad forgot to look indifferent as Sharpay sashayed down the aisle, bouquet in her hands, and the skirt of her yellow dress swaying around her knees. All of a sudden, wild, panicked thoughts rushed at him. Maybe he was making a mistake, maybe the only thing that he ever really needed in his life was her, and maybe if he just told her-

Troy gave him a discreet nudge and he realized he was gawping like an idiot. Much to his relief, Taylor and Mr. McKessie appeared and Chad managed a genuine grin.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God…"

Chad blamed his moment of temporary insanity on the ambiance. Lanterns hovered over the guests, grinning in manic happiness and casting them all in an orangey-gold glow. The leaves on the trees rattled a little, chords from the orchestra meshing with the sound. It was surreal and romantic and extremely befuddling…

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. _You may kiss the bride_…"

He had missed most of the ceremony, but he doubted Ryan and Taylor Evans noticed as they made their getaway. Sharpay stood in their wake, addressing the guests.

"Thank you, everyone! If you'd kindly make your way to the dining hall, food and booze and music await…" She turned back round. "And thank _you_ for all the hard work you put into this. It is officially time to party…"

Chad hung back as the rest rushed off, cheering in a manner reminiscent of graduation. Sharpay lingered, smoothing out invisible creases in her dress. The weight of all the could have's and should have's pressed down on them both.

"You're leaving tonight, right?" she inquired. "On the Red Eye?" He nodded. "Well, have a good flight." She turned on her heel and sauntered down the stairs.

In a moment that he could only attribute to further temporary insanity, Chad took a step forward.

"_Evans_."

"Yeah?"

He wanted to tell her, he wanted to drag her back and remind her what she was walking away from. But what came out of his mouth was: "You had a leaf in your hair. It's...gone now."

She rolled her eyes a little and walked on, pausing one more time to demand, "Are you coming or what, Danforth? We _do_ have a schedule to keep..."

Chad's heart crumpled in his chest like a tin can. He would have laughed just then if he were capable. The Ice Queen seemed to be making a comeback...

**Sharpay **

The bridal party sat along the main table, their intoxicated smiles illuminated by round, amber candles. She did her best to ignore Taylor's gaze, which flickered from her to Chad relentlessly.

Sharpay wanted to know why _she_ was expected to make the first move. Why should she offer her heart up for possible, maybe probable rejection? If he had something to say he should have said it already. Unless he, like her, was just too chickenshit to do so…

Sharpay could almost feel the anxiety rippling off the Evans clan as the time finally came for the Best Man's speech. Casey had a tendency to shock whenever given the chance to do so.

True to form, he shocked them all with a speech that was sweet, witty and totally devoid of curse words. Sharpay the Planner was relieved, while Sharpay the Cousin was just disappointed. Ah, well. The night was young…

"To Ryan and Taylor!"

The couple were called up for their first dance and soon after _she_ was on the dance floor with her brother. It seemed considerate to allow him to lead, just this once.

"_Thank you, Shar_. For making all this happen, for being there for us…" She had heard similar sentiments expressed before, but they were just as sweet coming from him.

"Don't _thank_ me, you dope! I would've done it for free if you weren't so hard-headed…"

He smiled, but it faded quickly, leaving a grimace in its place. "_And I'm sorry," _he added. "When we talked about you and Chad all those months ago," she gave a grand roll of her eyes, but he pressed on. "I said you couldn't make it work, you lived totally separate lives. That was pretty much bullshit. Sharpay, when you _really_ love someone nothing can get in the way. Unless you let it…"

She bit her lip so hard she may have been trying to eat it. "I need to go, " she murmured, stepping out of Ryan's hold abruptly, "get some air. _The fresh kind_…"

On the steps of the hall, Sharpay tried to get her breath back, but the air around her seemed to have solidified…

"Guess this is goodbye, Evans." She whipped round in surprise to see Chad in the doorway, his tie hanging loose and his hair as unkempt as ever. She only noticed the taxicab when he nodded to it.

"Saved the best for last, huh?" They shared an odd, awkward chuckle before Chad cleared his throat and held out an extremely frayed piece of paper.

"You should probably…have this." A curious frown creased her brow as she reached out for it. Her fingertips grazed his as she did so and she felt stupid for blushing over it.

"_Bye, Sharpay_."

She stared after him with what she knew to be embarrassing desperation, before chancing a glance down. It was her juvenile drawing, an artifact from a long-lost age.

All of a sudden, the ice cube that had stood in for her heart melted away, and tears feel freely, onto the page. This couldn't be over. Not until she said so, damn it!

The next ten seconds went by in a blind rush. She was running back to the wedding and out again with her keys and revving the engine and speeding off after the retreating cab…

It was hard to keep up, what with all the random cars springing into existence and cutting in between them. Never being one to value patience, Sharpay proceeded to pound on the horn and yell at anyone who cared to hear. Meanwhile, Chad's vehicle was disappearing at an alarming rate…

Desperation turned to courage (or maybe stupidity) and she accelerated, weaving in and out of lanes. Finally, she came level with the cab; knuckles chalk-white and eyes wide as she hooted for their attention.

The cabbie gave her a nasty look, which she was too terrified to mimic, before slowing to a halt behind her.

A few furious heartbeats later she clambered out of her car, quickly folding her arms against the chill. Chad emerged soon after, his expression unreadable under the warm yellowy glow of the streetlights.

"What's the problem, Princess?"

A deep breath before the plunge… "Y-you can't go." Heels click-clacking slowly on the pavement. "Not until you answer my question." He frowned a little as he met her halfway.

"Okay," she murmured, stopping just short of him. "_Okay_. You remember our little arrangement, right?"

"_Not easy to forget_."

"_Right_," she breathed. "Well, that was great, obviously. _You_ were great. _So_ great in fact, that I started remembering what it was like to be with you. In the non-sexual sense…" An annoying lump began to form in her throat as she looked down. "And I realized that I missed you. And that I never really stopped...loving you. Which, after all this time, is pretty damn pathetic." She forced herself to look up, searching his gaze for any encouragement. "So the $64 000 is…are you still in love with me?"

The silence seemed to stretch on forever and Sharpay was only just plotting her imminent suicide when:

"What kind of question is that?" he demanded, throwing his hands in the air. "Of course, I'm still in love with you!" She blinked at his over-the-top reaction, unable to respond for a moment. "I can't even remember a time when I _didn't_ love you. Even when I hated you! What took you so fucking long?"

"_Me?!_" she shrieked, having finally snapped out her shock. "What about you?"

A retort seemed to be leaning off the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. "Why are we still talking?"

Sharpay barely had time to smirk before he swooped down to kiss her with frenzied enthusiasm, his fingers tangling in her hair, hers trailing up his neck. This was _not_ their first kiss over the past few months, but it felt like it, as the rest of the world seemed to melt away...

"_Pardonnay-moi!_" an unfamiliar voice cut in. They pulled apart to see the driver glaring at them. "The meter's still running here."

"Just give me a minute, will you?"

A minute stretched into two, then three and Sharpay only vaguely aware of the sound of luggage landing on concrete and the screech of tires.

"_I've got a question, too_," Chad murmured, when their lips were almost bruised. She hummed a little to signify attentiveness.

"You wanna get married?"

It took a moment for the words to register and when they did her eyes popped insanely. She snorted. "Are you serious? You're proposing to me _here_? In the middle of the night? On the _street_? With no ring!"

"I promise I'll do it right later," he said, hugging her tightly to him. "Just say yes now."

Sharpay grinned into his shirt. It had never occured to her not to...

**Author's Note: Yay! Happy endings all around! Epilogue coming A.S.A.P, folks. Review?**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: My Dad's laptop is back and so am I! YAY! Thank you for the reviews and patience. You have been the most **_**awesomest**_** of awesome readers I have **_**ever**_** had. **

**Love you all and wish you a Happy New Year! **

**Oooh, and the title, while a little schmaltzy, was inspired both by 'HSM 1' and 'Grease'. Feeling nostalgic… **

**EPILOGUE **

**We'll Always Be Together **

_Chad was in the process of freaking out, which was weird because he had always been so good at speechifying. To be fair this was not a closing statement and he was not attending a trial. Quite the opposite in fact… _

_He had pored over it for weeks, trying to dredge up the right words from anywhere but his heart. First it was about commitment, then trust, and finally love. But _everybody_ talked about love. How passé could you get? And when did 'passé' move in with the rest of his vocabulary? _

_At any rate, this was a once in a lifetime deal (hopefully) and it had to be perfect… _

"_Chad? Chad. Come on, dude, I know you're in there. I can hear your cold feet pacing the floor! You're not backing out, are you? You're backing out. Hey, I need to use the-" _

"_All right, all right!" He unlocked the door and dragged it open to find Troy rocking on the balls of his feet, hands shoved into his tuxedo pants. _

"_This is a _public_ bathroom, man," he griped. _

"_I needed some place quiet," Chad murmured, shuffling towards the mirror as Troy branched off to the nearest stall. "To gather my thoughts and whatever."_

"_Well, you better make haste," his rueful tone echoed over the bathroom acoustics. "Sharpay is freaking out, thinks you've gone AWOL. It's either I go back with you or I don't go back at all." _

_Chad checked his watch. Time to get this show on the road. He exhaled hard and looked in the mirror, just as his best friend emerged. _

"_You ready?" Troy uttered, training his eyes on their reflections. _

_Chad nodded and fixed his tie. As ready as he would ever be…_

"_You're behind schedule, jackass!" _

"Evans_," he grinned, sauntering over, his arms open wide. She stepped back with a growl. _

"Don't_ give me that…" _

"_Evans, this is our big night," he bleated. "You _can't_ be mad at me."_

"We_ can't be talking right now", she murmured, but he could almost see the frostiness thaw. "See you later." And she allowed him a quick kiss before darting away… _

_The clock seemed to hurtle forward after that and Chad barely had time to brace himself before show time was upon him. _

_He stared out at the gathered guests and felt his fist tighten around the cluster of cards. Nothing he had written meant anything and everyone would know it. He had to back out now before he made an ass of himself, he had to-_

_His gaze settled on Sharpay. She smiled and Chad was suddenly dying to start the rest of their lives as soon as possible. _

"_To tell you truth," he began, putting down his speech with such reluctance he may have been abandoning a lifeboat, "I felt threatened the first time I met Mark. He was nothing but an intruder, a thief, coming to take my Mum away. So I threw a lot of crap at him, hoping he'd leave. He didn't and I'm glad. Because he really, truly loves her. And she him. That's all that matters. So I'd like to make a toast to Mark and Jo, may they continue to conquer all…" _

"_To Mark and Jo!" _

_Sharpay clapped hard as her eyes stung and her vision blurred. She could just make out two palm trees, one in a smart tux and the other in a stunning wedding dress, hugging the life out of each other. Such sweetness was rare but not unheard of with Chad. Yet her sappiness seemed to have been turned up several notches. Possibly because she knew what was next on the schedule… _

_Sharpay had been dreaming of her proposal for about a decade now and never had it occurred to her that she might actually know it was coming. Way back when she would have felt like someone had taken a wrecking ball to her castle in the sky. But now she just wanted to skip the frills and get to the part where she was freaking married already._

"_Getaway car is a go, Ms. Evans!" Nikki yelped through the earpiece and Ms. Evans tried no to grimace. The girl had flown all the way out to New Mexico to be of service. Sharpay was starting to think that if she were to stay in New Mexico for whatever reason, Nikki would be an okay successor to the New York branch of 'Evans' Heavenly Weddings'… _

"_Good job. Bride and groom are a go!" _

_Rice rained down on Jo and Mark as they rushed out. Mrs. Danf- no, Mrs. _Davis_, stalled abruptly by the door, which her husband held open, and then doubled back to squeeze Sharpay and Chad for the thousandth time. _

"_Take care of him while I'm gone, baby," was the last thing she said before disappearing at last…_

_An hour later Chad guided her up a dim stairwell. Sharpay had been sure that her desire for romance was dead and gone, but the nearer they got to the roof the giddier she became. _

"_Enough with the hype, Danforth," she murmured. "What have you got for me?" _

"_A very serious proposal, Evans…" _

_Familiar piano chords drifted down as they climbed up the last flight of steps. She was struggling to place the tune when he pushed open the door and… _

"_It's hard to believe, that I couldn't see, you were always there beside me. Thought I was alone, with no one to hold, but you were always right beside me…" _

_The rooftop was lined with hundreds of candles, their flames flickering in the wind. Ryan looked up from the grand piano he was playing so deftly and winked. _

"_This feeling's like no other, I want you to know…" _

_The door clicked shut behind them and Chad was on one knee, holding out a box that either held some tiny explosive or an engagement ring. _

"_Evans, you are an egotistical, melodramatic and hard-headed individual. But then so am I. And even when you make me sad, I'm happier than I could ever be without you. So will you be mine, forever and for always?" _

"_Always," she echoed, her smile dying a little. "That's what we said last time. We suck at promises, Chad." _

_He looked disheartened for all of two seconds before shrugging. "Maybe. But we're kind of amazing together and I love you and I _can_ promise you this. My receding hairline is going to be _hilarious_. You have to stick around for that at least!" _

_Sharpay snorted and dropped to her knees to kiss him, all her doubts slipping away as the ring was slipped on…_

More promises were made and kept and broken over time, more kisses and harsh words exchanged. But their love for each other was relentless and ageless and forever.

"_I finally found, what I've been looking for…" _

**A/N: Thanks, dudes, love you much, and I'll be back some day soon with big, BIG ideas!**


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